Duh....

(Photo from joyousoasis.com)

Has anyone ever given you this look? “I know you’re smart, so how is it that you’re just now getting this?”

I get it from time to time; it’s okay.

Sometimes I even see myself smacking my own forehead and whispering, “Duh!”

But, revelation is such an awesome thing. It can take something you’ve known in your head forever and transform it into something your heart finally understands. It can make a brand new concept come alive deep inside of you, where it becomes a permanent part of your understanding. It brings you from knowing – to acting on what you know. It actually moves you from a place of darkness into the light.

I love revelation; even when the folks around me shake their heads like they can’t believe I’m just now seeing a reality they’ve understood since birth.

A few Sundays ago Ugandan Bishop Joshua Lwere spoke in our church. He does this several times a year. His accent is thick, but his understanding of God’s Word takes him to a spiritual level that most of us don’t even know exists. Often, my mind wanders because, honestly, I miss a lot of what he says, simply because of the partnership between my old, hard-of-hearing ears and his attention getting, but profound accent.

But, that Sunday morning, it was as if the heavens opened up a pathway from his words to my heart. His message wasn’t of such deep revelation that you had to be a scholar to understand it, and I’d known the premise for decades. However, that morning was one that will stand out in my heart for many years to come; my “Aha moment” – sometimes dubbed a “duh moment” – set me free. That boulder on my shoulder is gone. I should go stand on the weight scale, because surely I weigh less!

I won’t relate all of my scribbled notes here. I won’t try to unfold the revelation I received piece by piece, because, either you already understand the point, or you won’t get it. I thought I understood the point, but I didn’t get it – until now.

In one juicy nugget: Everything I do can either benefit (or hurt) everyone around me. But, nothing I do is for anyone around me. Yes, I may do a favor for you; I may sing a song for you or even take a hit for you… but, it’s not your thanks or appreciation I should be seeking. If I think I’m serving you, or “working for” you – I’m seeking a paycheck from the wrong employer.

I submit myself to God and operate through the power and authority He’s given me. He is the One I answer to; He’s the only One I seek to please. Man-pleasers get drawn off track. My rewards come from God, whether or not it occurs to man to even say thank you.

If I’m feeling overwhelmed or under-appreciated, I’m seeking man’s attention or applause; I’m self-centered, and ultimately, self-serving. When I can walk in Love and seek no reward or praise for my actions, I’m God-centered and God-serving. His rewards are unimaginable. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” – 1 Corinthians 2:9 (KJV)

Sometimes submitting ourselves to another’s authority is a heavy burden. But, submitting myself to God, through Jesus Christ is setting me free. Link by link, the chains fall away. Hallelujah!

What are some of the situations you find yourself in that create feelings of anger or resentment or that stimulate the idea that you’re invisible and no one appreciates a thing you do? If you place the template over it that reveals who you’re serving, how does that change things?