Living Out Loud

I come from a loud animated family and on top of that we talk fast, not because we’re “slicksters”, at least I’m not J   I think I talk fast because I think and move fast.  What’s ironic is that my amazing husband who is 6’2” and has a very big/deep James Earl kind of booming voice.  Every now and then I have to ask him to turn the volume down because it can be overwhelming, especially if he’s riding in my miracle -- 2012 VW Beetle – love you Big Daddy.

We have all heard people who talk so loud they sound like they are yelling at you, especially Pentecostal preachers.  What’s even more ironic is that some of our European-American brothers and sisters are “learning how to put it down", like the African-American Pentecostals, and they are starting to yell too.  It’s amazing how much “brothas and sistahs” influence other cultures – that’s another topic.  I’m not condemning anyone for how loud they talk, just making a point that we all know or have heard people who speak really loudly.

That’s not what I want to talk about though, I want to talk about Living Out Loud.  My definition of Living Out Loud is as follows, and for simplicity, we will call them One-Cat and Two-Cat:

One-Cat: this person is a risk taker, they are not afraid to take chances. When they do something they do it big (big parties, big homes, big stuff, etc.) but they also give big.  I’m not talking about the people who “live big” to satisfy their egos and insatiable desire to be noticed, approved, validated, etc.  No, not at all.  I’m talking about the person who could care less what other people think about what and how they live their lives.  They don’t talk about it, they are about it.  They have fears just like everybody else, but they do what they do; when they do what they do; the way they want to, even if it means “doing it afraid” – you know what I mean.   I’m talking about the type of person that has a big heart, big dreams and has decided they are not going to live their lives with regrets.  They live so big that they don't allow other people's small thinking to dictate and/or affect their "bigness".

Two-Cat: this person is also a risk taker.  They are often misunderstood because they are not conformists who let people "ride their backs", they stand up straight and take responsibility for their own destiny.  They are not “men-pleasers” trying to please everyone else, seeking titles and positions. 

Ephesians 6:6-7:  not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.

This person questions the “system” and I don’t mean the judicial system, they question the “religious system” and they look for the answers in the word of God, not necessarily other people.  They are mistaken for renegades though they are really radicals.  Their praise, belief (faith) and giving are radical because they “Live Out Loud”.  They live lives of transparency (to a certain degree).  Let’s be honest you can’t tell EVERYTHING because some things should remain private, however, they live right on the edge of saying what needs to be said when it is appropriate to do so.  The “commoners”/“settlers” almost hate being in the same space as “Two-Cat” because they know at some point they will say or do something that will change the atmosphere, not that it’s a bad thing but it will cause a stir, make people think and possibly even do something “different”.  The commoners/settlers don’t want to change, they want to keep things the way they are because they have always been that way.  But, the “Two-Cat” can’t help it, it’s not their intention to change the atmosphere or make people uncomfortable, it just is, what it is.  In fact, sometimes they just want to be silently “normal” like everybody else, but they can’t help it.  I don’t mean they are creating drama, I mean they are creating CHANGE even if it’s in baby steps.

Everyone is not gifted or called to Live Out Loud like Two-Cat above, however, as Born Again Believers (BABs) we are described as “living” epistles.   People can “read” us, they know when we are living the truth, sincere and have a firm hold on our beliefs. 

2 Corinthians 3:2-3 (NKJV): You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. 

·       Epistle:  one of the letters adopted as books of the New Testament;  letter; especially a formal or elegant letter

Like it or not as BABs we are on display for the whole world to see and I am not just talking about those who profess salvation, I mean unbelievers, even children can tell the difference in a fake or a phony.

Therefore we have a responsibility to live a life that is pleasing to God.  It is important to monitor our conversation, the way we react to unpleasant situations (especially those that are public).  Here’s what I mean:

·       Do you speed down the highway excessively, darting in and out of traffic, yell at motorists or give them the bird when they cut you off?

·       Do you wear your Jesus scarf, t-shirt, hat and earrings to the local coffee house only to make a complete jerk of yourself as you yell at the barista for getting your drink wrong and demand to speak to the manager?

·       Do you return your grocery cart to it’s appropriate spot or do you let it roll down the parking lot so it can block the road, a parking stall or even worse hit someone’s car

·       Do you remain calm while someone is going off on you (even if it means biting your inner lip as you pray silently for self-control)?

·       When your co-workers (“church” members, etc.) bring garbage to you – gossip—do you join in, change the subject or tell them “it’s none of my business, etc.”?

·       When you’re sharing a meal with unbelievers, do you ask them to excuse you while you bless your food”?

·       Do you live the “Life” or do you just talk about it, trying to force your “religion” down their throat while you tell them that they are going to hell because they don’t go to church?

·       Do you dress like you’re advertising a “sale”?

·       Do you wear your PJs, head scarf and “house-shoes” outside like other people?

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Matthew 5:14

Somebody’s watching you, what do they see?

 In His Excellent Humility

Tan