Which describes your basic style? Are you a player? Or a sideliner, substitute? This is not a value classification, it’s more of a question on personal style determination. Some people are players, involved with their lives – they take destiny and pursue it. Others are more of the sideline or substitute player types that aren’t directly involved with what and who they are … perhaps from fear of being disappointed? And yes, that is a value. My belief is that we should always be involved in our lives, that we should never relinquish who we are becoming into others’ hands.
Why would we ever hand over to someone else the choices and values of who we are, who we are becoming, how we go about being who we are? It may be a lack of trust in our own decisions, or it may be a lack of desire to accept the responsibility for the outcomes. Actually there are all sorts of reasons why people do this and though it may seem like a form of self-deprecating, it all focuses on self. If we do give control to others then we are portraying a kind of false humility to the world which really has nothing to do with good or bad decisions, but more that we are so focused on ourselves that we incapacitate our self.
I know I’ve talked about the fact that we need to be the ‘star’ in our own lives. I passionately believe that we need to be actively involved in presenting and developing who we are. If you are a Christian then the only one you owe any allegiance to, the only one with rights over you is the Lord, who gave up everything in order for you to be reconciled and have an abundant life. For many, this allegiance, this surrender is seen as giving up everything rather than viewing this as being in a place to receive everything.
Wherever you happen to be in your life’s journey, as you look at who you are, how you go about being you, how you determine your decisions… are you a player or do you sit on the sidelines? Regardless of your placement, do you know why you are where you are? Your ‘why’ is truly important because it focus you back on the initial questions. I would strongly recommend you choose to be a player, even if this is not comfortable or not your preferred method. When you remember that the Lord is with you in this, to strengthen you, then you can act – even if you are ‘wrong’ – as… you.
