Brian Dolleman's Blog

As a kid in the late ’70’s, I remember listening to the hauntingly sad, autobiographical lyrics of Roger Waters (Pink Floyd): “I have become comfortably numb”.

Another line from the song explains, “You are only coming through in waves—your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying”.

This song reminds me of something Jesus said…

“Your ears are open but you don’t hear a thing. Your eyes are awake but you don’t see a thing.” (Matthew 13.13 MSG)

Some of us are numb—just going through the motions in life.

We hear sounds, but we’re not really listening. Our eyes are open, but we’re not really seeing.

In 2003, Amy Lee of Evanescence wrote a song called “Bring Me To Life.”

The chorus says, “Wake me up inside…”

Amy Lee, when asked about the inspiration for the song, explained: “One day someone said something that made my heart race for a second and I realized that for months I’d been numb, just going through the motions of life.”

She realized that she was numb and needed to be awakened.

So…

If your life was a film, which of these two songs should be the soundtrack right now?

Are you comfortably numb—or are you saying “wake me up inside”?

“Make sure you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-to-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. Be up and awake to what God is doing!” (Romans 13.11, 12 MSG)

I have a scooter, an off-brand Vespa.

Somebody told me that my scooter has a governor—an attachment to the throttle which limits speed.

This drives me crazy.

I know it has the potential to go faster, but somewhere hiding in the engine is a little thing that keeps it slow.

And I don’t know how to find it, change it, or remove it.

Grrrrrrr…

That stinkin little limiter!

Sometimes I think we (God’s people / the Church) have a governor.

We have potential for greater things, but somewhere hiding in our hearts is a little thing that keeps us small.

And we don’t know where to find it, change it, or remove it.

That stinkin little limiter!

There is a solution for my scooter: I can go to a mechanic.

He knows what I don’t. He can fix it—he can lift the limits.

So, what about us / what about the church?

2 Corinthians 3.14 informs us: Only through Christ are the limits lifted.

With the limits removed, “We are being transformed… from one degree of glory to another.” (2 Cor. 3.18)

In other words, when the limits have been lifted, we go to a whole notha level.

I’m asking God to do that…

Fix us.

Take the limiters off.

And take us to a whole notha level.

In the early ’80’s, Disco was dying and New Wave was on the rise.

Ivan Doroschuk of the band Men Without Hats wrote The Safety Dance as a protest against bouncers who were stopping dancers from pogoing (bouncing up and down) in clubs.

In essence, Ivan was saying: it’s safe to dance.

He was reframing the establishment’s view of what was safe—to include pogoing on the dance floor.

I believe we need to reframe our view of “safe” as well.

We all tend to gravitate toward the safe and comfortable.

Some attribute this tendency to the “lizard brain” (the amygdala).

The “lizard brain” runs from risk—it reacts out of fear.

On our own, it kinda makes sense to think like a lizard… but we’re not on our own.

God is with us. His Spirit lives in us.

“With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine.” (Ephesians 3.20)

Since we’re not on our own, we must reframe our view of safe.

When we’re evaluating what’s safe, we need to make sure God is in the equation.

God’s power is working in us and he is able to do much more than we could ever ask or imagine.

No more “lizard brain” running…

It’s safe to dance.

Yesterday was a travel day: planes, trains and automobiles… and I think this was the first time I’ve drained my Kindle’s battery.

Some books I read over the past 3 weeks:

Do More Great Work by Michael Bungay

The Myth of a Christian Religion by Gregory Boyd

Quitter by Jon Acuff

Bossypants by Tina Fey

Today We Are Rich by Tim Sanders

Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky

Because He Loves Me by Elyse Fitzpatrick

Present Perfect: Finding God in the Now by Gregory Boyd

Giving honor adds value.

Dishonor devalues.

The Bible says God has crowned mankind with “glory and honor” (Psalm 8.5).

Our job isn’t to chip away at the honor/worth/value/significance of others.

Our job is to restore and build-up—to give value and honor.

We’re the building team, not the demolition crew.

We’re value adders, not a value diminishers.

We add, not subtract.

We give value.

We build.

We bless.

We honor…

And we do it up big.

http://made-new.com/

If you only honor “up” (authority figures, bosses, people who are above you), that’s not really honor… that’s called brown-nosing.

Yes—we believe in honoring up, but it can’t stop there.

We honor up, we honor down, we honor all around.

Another way to think about honoring is “to give dignity”.

Giving dignity is particularly important when honoring those who are in a lower place than you.

Perhaps the hardest “honor pill” to swallow is honoring all around…

Honoring all around means honoring those who are in the same boat as you are, your friends, your peers… the competition.

When you think of honor, remember: up, down, all around.

Missing honor in some direction?

Here’s a quick diagnosis:

If you can’t honor up, you’re struggling with authority issues.
If you can’t honor down, you’re a self-important, elitist snob.
If you can’t honor all around, your out-of-control competitiveness will eventually cause you to be friendless.

http://made-new.com/

What’s the equation for giving honor?

How much should I give, and in proportion to what?

Someone’s deservingness?

Honor-worthiness?

Meritoriousness?

No.

All you have to do is look inside yourself.

Do you want to be devalued, diminished, dishonored, dismissed, disrespected,… “dissed”?

Or do you want to be valued, recognized, honored, accepted, respected, and commended?

Nobody wants to be dissed.

So, here’s the answer—the equation for giving honor:

“Give each other more honor that you want for yourselves.” (Romans 12.10 NCV)

Honor. Do it up big—more than you want for yourself!

http://made-new.com/

As long as you’re causing injury to others, you’re winning.

You get points for taking shots and hitting someone else.

The goal: advance yourself and harm, maim, or eliminate the competition.

That’s how video games work.

In real life, it’s the opposite of video games.

Causing injury to others? You’re losing.

There’s no points for for taking shots at someone else. In fact, it causes your value to diminish.

In real life, the goal is to advance others—to build, bless, encourage and give honor freely.

“Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.” (Philippians 2.3, 4 MSG)

http://made-new.com/

Honor…

Everyone wants some.

Few give it away.

Here’s what the Bible has to say about it:

“Take delight in honoring each other.” (Romans 12.10 NLT)

Another line from the song “Give it Away” says, “Realize I don’t want to be a miser.”

Don’t be an honor miser.

Give it away.

Give it away.

Give it away now.

http://made-new.com/

My wife is the master of the conversation switcheroo.

We’re talking about one thing—and without notice she’s saying something that makes absolutely no sense at all with the previous stream of thought.

I usually look confused while I’m trying to figure out what’s going on.

Eventually, I say: “Wait, new thought?”

She thinks about it and says, “Oh, yeah. Of course. Now I’m talking about…”

As long as my mind is on the previous stream of thought, the new thought is just gibberish to me.

I have to let go of the previous conversation in order to engage in the new one.

Kinda like my wife, God is the master of the switcheroo.

He wants to introduce some new thoughts and ideas to us…

“Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.” (Ephesians 4.23 NLT)

Here’s the deal: in order to receive the new thought, we must let go of the previous one.

As long as we’re holding on to the previous stream of though, attitude, or internal conversation—the new one (the God-thought) will just be gibberish to us.

If stuff isn’t making a whole lot of sense in your life right now, maybe it’s time to say: “Wait, new thought?”

http://made-new.com/