It is my pleasure to host guest poster, Sarah Camille Anarna of Sarahcamille.co on the blog this September morning.
You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you.” John 15:16
Most performers know that for the majority of their gigs, there’s a process. They’ll have to submit a headshot, audition and then the waiting period begins to see if they have been selected.
As I sat by my computer filtering through all the emails, checking to see what opportunities I could submit for acting and modeling, I was excited to notice that I had a few from recent submissions. As usual, most of the emails were vague, simply letting me know they were interested and would like me to save the date for them. I was hopeful. I know that there’s a possibility of rejection, so I mentally prepare myself for it as I keep submitting for more opportunities. Some turned out great, and I was accepted. Others sent me a nicely written email apologizing and explaining that the client had gone a different direction with the project. A nice way of saying, “You’re not our type.”
Anytime we get emails of rejection, whether as a performer, dancer, writer, designer, or in relationships, it is easy to wonder, “What were they looking for? What was it that I did not meet? What was it that I could’ve done better. Is it me?”
After a while, we move on and try something else. For me, I’ll do something different, but in the back of my head, I’m still constantly critiquing myself or the situation and asking, “Is it enough? Is THIS enough? Am I enough?”. I keep auditioning, trying out new roles, a new career, a new place to test out until I feel like I don’t belong anymore. Then I hop onto the next train ride.
Have you noticed that we often carry this same mindset when it comes to the role God has given us in our lives?
Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, a career oriented woman, or a college student waiting to go through the transitions of life, we have this expectation of how we should perform in our daily duties, responsibilities, and the places God has put us. From the different situations or people He places us to be around as women, we question our ability to parent, to juggle responsibilities, to handle our job, to pursue our calling, to be a godly wife. Even when He has already placed us in our situation or has given us reassurance and comfort, something still makes us ask, “Am I really fit for this?” We make mistakes, stumble, and we immediately wonder if this is really for us. We start to wonder why we even believed to begin with. For some, we wonder if this is all that’s meant to be for our life. We wonder if there will ever be something ‘more exciting’. Whatever your end of the spectrum, there’s one thing I want to encourage you with today.
God isn’t like the rest of the world. The world will constantly critique us and say you’re
not enough therefore you keep auditioning until you feel like you’ve ‘made it.’ You keep looking for the right career, the right title, the right stature, or the right relationship because of the pressure to meet standards that were set by other people or yourself.
You keep auditioning, looking for your role in life until you find a spot for your square peg and it still leaves you discontent. But with God, you already have the best role you could ever have without even having to audition for it. He has nothing but the best in store for you.
“You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you.”
John 15:16 states that God chose us before we ever even knew Him. God chose us before we ever gave Him the time of day. God appointed us to bear fruit for His glory. Now that He’s got your attention, it’s time for you to simply abide and let Him direct you in the roles He already gave you. That role? It’s yours! It was yours before you were even born.
You’re His performer. You shine like no one else without ever having to submit a headshot. You’re His child; a son or daughter of the one true King. And you are already the best character, playing the best role in His eyes. Without ever having to earn it.
Sometimes, we keep trying to audition and put on a performance of ‘the best us’ when God’s looking down at us saying, “Beloved, I’ve already given you that role. Stop trying to earn it. Just come here, abide in me, be part of my play and shine like you were always meant to shine by being the you I created you to be.”
A gift from Sarah Camille:
I know how hard it can be sometimes to remind yourself that you are enough and that God has promises specifically for you. So I’ve created a free worksheet and printable that you can put up on your wall. Especially for those times that it just seems so hard to continue.
Sarah Camille Anarna is an actress, dancer and strategist. She loves empowering women to integrate their passions with the love of Christ through branding and social media. She helps women create a strategy to reveal their real story, effectively communicate their essence to their audience, and leave an imprint in their hearts and mind on their online and offline communities. Sarah is passionate about combining media with the word of God to allow Him to shine through.
I pray that her enthusiasm for Jesus has shone through her words and has spoken to your heart today!
Connect with Sarah Camille by following the links below. Click:
Leave a Reply