“Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain”
Children of all ages quaked as they watched Dorothy; clinging to her friends, tremble down that massive hallway toward the booming voice of a glowing wizard. We feared we may never breathe again until Toto revealed the secret. The great and powerful OZ didn’t look so great once we had a peek behind the curtain.
That little man was working like crazy to support the false image of greatness. He frantically pushed buttons and turned wheels to make the sights and sounds that impressed his audience.
The smoke and mirrors and the bold and bombing commands of the wizard did Dorothy and her friends little good. Those things sent them on a frightening journey for a witch’s broom when their only goal was to find their way home.
Now, you would think that the moral of this story is: “Just be yourself.” In fact, Dorothy was told that she possessed the power to get home all along. Click your heels three times, and make a wish and back home again!
It is always a good idea to avoid pretending you’re something that you’re not. However, it’s not a good idea to just be you. After all, if the wizard thought being true to self was a good idea he wouldn’t have been found behind the curtain in the first place.
The Bible says pretending and being oneself are not acceptable to the life of a believer. Consider the words of the prophet Isaiah.
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
Isaiah 35:4-6 (ESV)
Dorothy was trying to get home. In a wondrous land over the rainbow, Dorothy realized the truth. Home was the place where she is loved. Home was the placed where she serves. Home was the place that gives her purpose. In other words, Dorothy was trying to find joy.
Dorothy knew her joy would be complete once she found her way home.
Unlike the movie, the Bible teaches that joy can be found only in the God of the Bible.
Dorothy was responsible for all her friends. At times she was called upon to give wisdom to the scarecrow and a heart of courage to the tin man and lion. That’s a heavy load to bear. That’s real responsibility.
As a leader, you are responsible for others. It’s in that responsibility that a profound joy is found but only if you experience it through the truth of the Bible.
Our journey begins Wednesday, November 6th. We will meet at 11:45 am and 6:00 pm. Bring your lunch or dinner. Join with others as we learn to navigate God’s plan for our lives.
We are here for you Monday through Friday 8am – 5pm. Schedule a time on any of those days, at any hour, to study God’s Word. Create your own small group. Business leaders, bring your employees. Parents, bring your family and your neighbors. We will be happy to customize a time and a study to meet your needs.
You can come to us or we can come to you (via the internet). If you are one of our out-of-state friends or just can’t get everyone to Gilbert at one time, we will be happy to schedule a goToMeeting conference using your pc or mac.
Contact Pastor Mike at (602) 321-6695 or m.jones@patriarchproject.com.
patriarchproject 