” ‘Every person is composed of a few themes,’ observed C. S. Lewis. Those life themes reveal themselves in a variety of ways. . . . More often than not, it’s something out of the ordinary. One way or the other, something happens that strikes a chord at the core of your being. . . . These life themes become the subplots of your life, and they undergird everything you do.”- Mark Batterson
“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”- Numbers 6: 7 (NIV)
The first habit Mark Batterson addresses in Win the Day is flip the script. First, Mark stresses, the stories we tell ourselves mean the difference between success and failure. So when you tell yourself the wrong story, you live a lie. Therefore, Pastor Batterson counsels, to change your life, start by changing your story.
Above all, God puts His name on us. When He changes our name, that changes our identity. He flips the script. Thus, Mark exhorts: “Your explanations are more important than your experiences. Your stories are more important than the situations you find yourself in.”
As Mark moves on in Chapter 1 (“Signature Story”), he tells the story of Bo Eason. When Bo reported for the first practice with his high school football team, the measured five feet tall and weighed one hundred pounds. To no one’s surprise, his coach told him he was too small. So. Bo’s father explained why a rancher always identifies the runt of his ranch dog’s litter. He measures the heart:
“The runt always has to work harder to survive against it’s bigger brothers and sisters. Always. The runt becomes the smartest, the fastest, the most determined. Of all the puppies, the runt’s heart is the biggest. The rancher stakes his whole livelihood on that fact.”
Finally, Bo bucked 1 in 589 odds to play safety for the Houston Oilers for four seasons. Therefore, Mark asks, what stores do you tell yourself? Do they help you or hurt you? And who narrates your story? Have you ceded editorial control to God?
Today’s question: What life themes reveal themselves to you? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Taking your cues from Christ
