Religious Superstars Are Exhausting

There once was a time
when I was driven
to always be doing and doing
and to be the superstar
of everything religious.

But once God pulled me away
from the limelight,
the merry-go-round
of all the churchiness
and the religious go-round
came to an abrupt stop.

Then there I stood, only Him and me.
And He graciously heard me
as I fussed and groaned
and cried and asked why.
But pretty soon,
I got to see how gracious
and thoughtful and healing
He is.

He showed me that I could be
a nothing in everyone's eyes.
That I could walk with Him
in the cool of the day
every single moment
and every single day.

He showed me that He is enough
and that even if not one soul
noticed or applauded,
He saw.

I am free to just be.
I don't have to dance
to the tune of the slave master
of religion and applause of men.
The chain is gone.

When part of me craves
that old limelight,
that applause and recognition,
I can see and be reminded
of others still caught up
in all of that.
They are exhausting.

It's in the rest of Christ
that we can be truly fruitful
and be in the moment
and be real with each other
and not have to wear
that plastic smile
and act like we have it
all together.
Nobody does.

To relate to human beings
on a real level
takes being real ourselves
and throwing off
that performance rhythm.
And God can get the glory
because we are weak
but He is strong.