"Steal My Show"

If you wanna steal my show I’ll sit back and watch you go If you got something to say Go on and take it away Need you to steal my show Can’t wait to watch you go So take it away

These lyrics are not just for musicians. They’re for any of us in a position of leadership, for any of us that stand on the platform in front of a group of people, large or small. That’s most of the people reading this blog. It raises a central question: do I really want God to steal my show? We know that the “Sunday school answer” is “yes,” but in the moment that matters, do our actions match our words. A few weeks ago, I attended worship in a mainline “first” church. You know what this normally means – a church where structure is paramount, and spontaneity or emotion is rarer than a solar eclipse. I was pleasantly surprised when the worship service included an open time for people to come forward for prayer, impressed with the number who responded, and thrilled when the pastor extended the time because people were still praying. It was obvious that this was not in the script. When the prayer time ended, the pastor explained that he wants the church to be one where the movement of the Spirit is more important than the pre-planned flow of the worship service. Again, we all know that this is the “right” answer, but how do you react if God starts to steal your show? Are you willing to throw out the sermon you had planned (or at least modify it)? Are you willing to move from the spotlight to the background because God is at work? As you prepare for a public appearance – whether preaching or a leadership rally or speaking at a conference – do you fervently pray for God to steal your show? If I’m honest, I may want God to show up, but I’m not sure that I want Him to “take it away.” There’s too much of my ego and need for control for this kind of prayer to come easily for me. But I think it’s what I need to start praying. What about you? It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.  ]]>