"Don't tell me what I can't do!"

I'm a big fan of Lost.
I never started watching it until this winter, after it had already been on a for a few seasons. I've gone through cycles where I've been too spiritual to watch TV and movies and feared wasting 90 minutes on something not spiritual was tantamount to sinning. But once in a while I actually do enjoy watching good movie but I'm not about to blog about movies or TV.

But there's this show Lost...
When I started watching the original first episodes this winter on my laptop, knowing what I already knew about how "addictive" of a show it was, I was quickly enthralled with this one character by the name of John Locke. I don't want to proceed to unload on my 'spiritual' blog about a TV character or how rich the story telling of a show is. I think what lured me in was the sense of destiny each of these characters had on their life. Especially John Locke.

If you're unfamiliar with it, then let me try to refresh my memory: the story begins with each of these characters already on the island after their plane crashed, and for the next 3 seasons of the show (which I got so addicted to that I caught up in a matter of months so I could follow new episodes as they aired)--each character's back story is revealed as the show goes on--especially in the early episodes exploring what they were doing in Australia and why they were on that flight. The first episode that delved into Locke's background revealed he was returning from an expedition he didn't get to go on, and to our surprise as a viewing audience and unbeknownst to the other characters--he was crippled from the waist down but could now walk after the crash--I actually was moved to tears when it was revealed in the climax of the backstory that he was actually in a wheel chair. After watching that episode I was immediately mesmerized by that charcter, and when they burned the reckage of the plane you see his wheel chair in it, knowing none of the other characters realize it's his. Being passionate about healing in the Body of Christ is probably what so moved me to tears watching this guy--on a freaking TV show! Four episodes in and I was hooked and determined to watch the entire TV show when I could.

Despite being physically handicapped, Locke was going on an outback expedition of some kind, and multiple times throughout the backstory, snapped at anybody who stood in the way of his dreams saying to them "don't tell me what I can't do!" He quickly proves himself as a hunter-gatherer for the others on the island, and even as a leader more or less. Quite different from the life he'd left behind back home. This is the basic formula for almost all of the characters thrown together by a disaster: good people do bad things, and bad people doing redemptive things, all the while this character-driven drama is fascinating (to me) and tells the story in unique manner without insulting the viewer's inteligence. Needless to say, I love this show and appreciate the work that goes into it. But mostly, the viewer cares about each character.

Anyway, I've been sitting on my laptop a lot in the last few days doing online things related to our Fire On Your Head podcast or layouts of various sites related to it and my blog, so therefore a previous discussion I had with someone about it has come to my mind prominently, because this person's words have stuck with me ever since. They were discouraging words, but they provoked me to ignore an instance in my own life of being told what I can't do.

An individual twice my age in my life some months ago seemed rather annoyed with me for not understanding his opinion that making a podcast or a blog was "dangerous", because apparently I'm not "qualified" to post my views of Scripture online like that. Since anybody can make them, then that means there's lots of opinion out there to confuse people with. Believe me, this was before Lakeland and all the revival police for and against it had emerged in the blogosphere--but the blogging phenonemon has made an impact on me in recent months to re-evaluate if my opinion does matter enough to put online for people to read or hear.

He felt that someone else in leadership over my life should edit each podcast of ours before posting them so that way, we aren't posting any heresy. I asked him if I did that, then who would have the time to edit them for me on top of their own lives? He then asked me (or told me--since some peoples' questions are usually thinly-veiled way of airing their opinions and criticisms) what made me think my teachings were correct. I told him the Bible did.

I realize how arrogant my snippets of conversation I mention here may look, but the jist of the conversation was basically that I'm nobody--I'm not a "minister"--which just showed that whole clergy/layity distinction in his mind--you're not qualified to preach unless you are recognized to--so why do the opinions and teachings I have to share matter that my podcast is worth listening to or my blog worth reading? I told him, as I was starting to feel cut down to size, that I really didn't know--nor did I understand why he was trying to tell me NOT to do something that God has clearly been using so effectively.

And you know what that conversation did in me don't you? I didn't care one bit. It motivated me to make the podcast more excellent and I told Dan about it and we've committed to making sure ahead of time to use as much Bible as possible so it's not a discussion about our views.

I've faced the same type of people telling me "what I can't do" about going on the mission field to Holland, Peru or any other country, as well as other goals in my life. Can you imagine how boring that story would be if I just listen to people stop me from doing things that they probably are just looking for what fire in my life they can pour water on because THEY have failed or under achieved in their own life? Beware of the underachievers in your life, they may be looking for ways to pull you down to their level--especially if you have a calling on your life for the supernatural. They'll remind you of the obstacles in your way; instead of giving you a hammer to smash the roadblock out of the way, they're there to stand still and remind you it's there.

I'm not talking about pew warmers and arm chair critics, although I avoid them like it will kill me if I let them influence me--my ears are not trashcans for their garbage. I'm talking sometimes of people I do look up to. But I'm amazed how many people in my life will give me advice (usually in discouraging my dreams) over areas they themselves have not ventured into. I've been told not to go so hard about healing, because the more you are used by God to heal the sick, the more likely you will fall into pride. No--it reveals that YOU would fall into pride if God used you, but thank you for the polite warning to avoid letting it happen to me! Most of the criticism and discouragement people throw my way reveal more about their hearts than my goals or ambitions for the Lord.

I don't let these people eat my lunch. Neither should you. Keep your fire strong and go after what you're aiming for, and never let anybody tell you what you can't do for the Lord if HE's the one who's put something on your heart to do for him.