10-16-22 Real vs. Right
Quote: “People would rather follow a leader who is always real than one who is always right.” – Craig Groeschel
Craig definitely got it right.
A few years ago, a group of friends and I started a little Facebook group with the hopes of creating a place where women felt encouraged, supported, and loved. That when a woman was feeling down or alone, that they would have a safe space to go to where they would feel uplifted. That if a woman had walked away from her church or her faith, that she would feel welcome. Over time the group grew from a few hundred to surpass a thousand. Women from all over the world were asking for prayers and being pointed to the One who loves them most.
Somewhere in that journey was born the idea of doing a weekly live show. I of course told the ladies that was a great idea but no. I had no theology degree. I had never been to college to study religion or the Bible. I was just a small town girl who loved Jesus. I had no business sharing my beliefs in such a big, public way. As someone once told me, “You don’t have to always do things so big and loud, Danielle. Sometimes a quieter faith is just as impactful.”
And so I told God no.
I don’t remember the exact day God changed my heart but I think it was around the time my friend Heide got real with me and said, “Girl, people are tired of the perfectly polished speakers. They can’t relate to that. They want authentic and real. They want someone on their same level – someone they can relate to.” Those convicting words led to a daily show with a girl with the craziest of hair, who sometimes slurps her coffee a little too loudly. And some days, the morning hair is so scary I have to stop during the show and fix it because it is actually scaring me! We talk about a verse together and the ladies who are watching (and many who watch later) chat back and forth about how God is speaking to them through the verse.
Ironically, my mom got me a cup today that says, “just a small town girl”. It was such an affirmation of what God’s goal for me has been all along – to be real. Be the small town soccer mom, who is imperfect in every way, but has an urgency to encourage, teach, and connect others to Jesus. “Live at 7:05” is just a simple show yet the best way I know how to be real. Some may call it reckless but I believe God thinks it’s brave. It’s not about the leader at all. It’s about being real with each other about the struggles we all have.
Each of us has a calling. We are all leaders. Whether it’s in your home, in the neighborhood, at the office, on the football field, or at big meetings. We can’t always be right about everything. But we can be real and vulnerable. We can tell people we are struggling. God wants us to be humble when we mess up. To own it. That’s being real. The Bible says in Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
What if we don’t share our struggles and there is someone in our lives struggling with the same thing and we are blocking the blessing of doing life with them together? What if we share our story and it changes someone’s life? It is so selfish to keep quiet and be miserable alone. Be real! Let others into your pain and your celebrations.
I think of Ashley who publicly shares her story about overcoming addition. I think of Anesha who used her pain from pregnancy loss and started an organization to bring hope. I think of Kori who shared her little boy with her community so we could all be united in prayer. I think of Rosa who stood her ground and sat to take a stand against injustice. They probably all had moments where they didn’t feel like they were qualified to lead. But they did it anyway. They were raw and real because they knew their calling. Hiding and being fake wasn’t in their cards.
Be real with others. Most can spot fake a mile away anyway.
Be vulnerable. Do it scared with messy hair if you have to.
But be who God created you to be. As the saying goes, God does not call the equipped. He equips the called.
#divasforJesus #liveat705
