500+ for 50 – day 16: risky business

Since I began my blog back in 2011, I’ve had a lot of people come to me and express their admiration for the vulnerability that I offer in my writing.  If you’ve had the opportunity to read any of my previous posts, you’ve seen that I conceal very little about who I am.  There’s no doubt that I’m a flawed human being – that’s very evident in the story that I have to share.  But I don’t view my perceived weaknesses as traits that I need to hide from the public eye.  I delight in my flaws because they are what make me, me.  They’re the gifts that I’ve been blessed with that allow me to have a unique story to share.  My story is one that often leads to the empowerment of others and it also allows me to follow more closely alongside my Creator in my journey towards liberating my soul.  Why would I ever view myself as being afflicted when I receive so much in return for what others consider pain and hardship?

Unfortunately, not everyone is able to view my writing as I do.  Over the last few years I’ve had a handful of “supporters” question the passion with which I write and the nature of the delicate personal subject matter that I openly offer to my audience.  They perceive my writing as being potentially intimidating to others and they fear the judgment and scrutiny that I might receive as a result of my honesty.  And then in an effort to protect me, they offer their advice on what is or is not acceptable in the eyes of the world.  What they fail to remember is that I’ve made a conscious decision not to follow the world, but to follow Christ.  And His judgment and His plan are the only things that carry any meaning with me.  I know that if I am listening to God, my life will head in the direction that He has intended, and that’s all that truly matters to me.

Some people might consider what I do a risky undertaking…putting myself out there and inviting criticism and judgment in both my personal life and perhaps even in my professional career.  But I don’t worry about those things.  I find that there is a far greater risk involved with me choosing to avoid taking action on my life’s calling than there is in sharing a story that some might view as unique or flawed.  I understand fully that not everyone will appreciate the experiences and inspirational guidance that I have to offer.  That’s absolutely fine.  But there will be some people who will feel moved by what I write.  And perhaps it will be my writing that motivates them to make a commitment to the pursuit of their own goals and dreams, to their own personal liberation.  You never know how you can impact the direction of a person’s life in a positive way.  You can only put the very best of YOU out there and hope that something sticks.  God has told me many times, “Matt, if you work your whole life and serve to aid in saving just one person’s life, you’ve done your part.”

I might never know how many wins and losses I’ve accumulated as a result of my writing.  But I’m not the one keeping score, so I really have no concern with that.  There will at times be critics and people who choose not to involve themselves in my life because of the faith-led passion with which I live and speak.  Those individuals are not likely to benefit from any service that I provide as a direct result of who I am, and it’s not probable that I am going to gain much from their presence either.  But on the flipside, there will be individuals whom I will attract to my life both personally and professionally as a result of my writing.  And they will arrive at a far faster rate than those who disappear.  Such individuals will bring tremendous value to my world and will bear great fruit in my life.  And I can only hope that I will do the same in theirs.  God will provide.  I trust that His plan will lead me to far more victories than defeats when it’s all said and done.

So to those whom it may concern:  I assure you, there is no need to worry.  I have no fear in revealing my perceived inadequacies to the scrutinizing eyes of those around me.  I don’t see any risk in being who it is that God created me to be.  I am unique, I am flawed, and I am not for everyone.  But I wasn’t put here on this earth to fit in, and neither were you.  We were called to service in the name of our Creator, and each person’s mission is unique to them.  My purpose is to utilize my story to free others from the chains that hold them captive, and I intend on accessing every resource available to touch as many people as I possibly can.  Not everyone will choose to tune in to my blog and that’s okay, but if I am able to touch just one person and impact their life in a positive way, it will all be worth it. 

If I risk losing who it is I was, only to gain who it is I am meant to become, there is truly no risk at all.

May God Bless!