put your own show on
“The opportunity of a lifetime is to pick yourself. Quit waiting to get picked; quit waiting for someone to give you permission; quit waiting for someone to say you are officially qualified and pick yourself.”
Seth Godin
“The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”
Jesus
I was having dinner at a local restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen with some friends when we got into a longer conversation with our server. Almost all servers in New York have a burning reason that brought them to the city, especially in the Theater District.
It turned out she was from Texas and had moved to the city for Musical Theater. I asked her how it was all going and got one of the best answers I have ever received in twenty years of living in the city.
“Work is slow, and I’m not getting as many callbacks as I would like.”
“I know it’s hard to break into the industry,” I replied.
“I’m not discouraged, though,” she said. “I decided instead of waiting for people to cast me in their show, I created my own show and cast myself. I am putting on my first show later this month.”
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One of the most important things we need to reclaim as men is an instinct of proactivity. Too often, hesitation in our desires and shame hold us back from stepping into the things God has put in our hearts.
We hear cultural messaging that is cynical about male leadership.
We hear criticism about being prideful and trying to build our own platforms.
We have a fear of being misunderstood or criticized by others.
But the result of this is that what God has put in our hearts slowly begins to atrophy.
Seth Godin put it this way:
“Our cultural instinct is to wait to get picked. To seek out the permission, authority, and safety that come from a publisher or a talk-show host or even a blogger who says ‘I pick you.’ Once you reject that impulse and realize that no one is going to select you, that Prince Charming has chosen another house in his search for Cinderella, then you can actually get to work.”
Even Jesus’ disciples had to wrestle with this. In Mark 9, John comes to Jesus with concern because he saw someone driving out demons in Jesus’ name who wasn’t part of their core group. The disciples assumed that only they had the authority to minister in Jesus' name. But Jesus replied, “Do not stop him. For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me. For whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:39–40).
In other words, the kingdom is bigger than our categories, and God empowers people in ways we may not always be comfortable with. The disciples had to learn that Jesus is the One who gives permission, not us. If God’s Spirit is moving, step out boldly, because the only qualification you need is that you belong to Him.
We often forget that the greatest missional pivot in the book of Acts happened in chapter 11, where “some men” preached Jesus to the Gentiles in Antioch, and a full-blown revival broke out. The Apostles had to send leaders to verify that it was God, but the Spirit was transforming a city without even their permission.
To be clear, I am not talking about some kind of anti-authoritarian defiance. That stuff often reeks of the flesh and isn’t helpful, but I am trying to stir your heart to get at what’s been dormant in you out into the world. The moment is calling for proactive men, not passive consumers.
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You don’t need permission to gather men in your backyard and go deep.
You don’t need permission to start an accountability group.
You don’t need a book contract to publish your book.
You don’t need permission to start a blog, launch your website, or create your podcast.
You need vision and mission, but you don’t need permission.
So much of the joy, the utter joy, in my life has come because I saw a need and leaned into it.
No one gave me permission to start our church in New York.
No one gave me permission to dream up and write the Primal Path.
No one gave me permission to start the Awaken Network.
No one gave me permission to cofound Forming Men.
No one gave me permission to cofound The Art of Teaching.
I don’t list that stuff to sound impressive because it has involved a lot of blood, sweat, scars, and tears. I say it to empower what God has put in your heart and let you know that you don't need permission to launch out.
Don’t bury your gifts out of fear; dig it up and put it to work.
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The God we serve is an empowering God, and the good news of the gospel is better than we can comprehend.
Because, ultimately, you don’t even have to choose yourself.
God chose you in Christ before the foundation of the world to be
holy and blameless in His sight.
God chose you for good works that He has prepared for you to walk in.
Jesus chose you to bear fruit that would remain, and to glorify the Father.
God chose you to be a king and a priest in His eternal kingdom.
Brothers, if no one is choosing you, put your own show on.
Do it with all your might and do it for God's glory.
The world is waiting to see what God has put in your heart.
Here to see the glory of God on display through your life.
Cheers.
Jon.
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Discussion Questions:
Is there anything in your heart that you haven’t had the courage or honesty to really pursue? If so, what is it, and what’s been holding you back?
If you stopped waiting to be picked today, what bold first step would you take this week?
Where has fear of criticism or being misunderstood kept you from obeying a clear nudge from God?
Where do you need to repent of passive waiting and embrace holy proactivity that takes the kingdom by force?
What fruit that remains do you sense Jesus inviting you to bear this year, and who will hold you accountable to it?