Too old
Too young
Too broken
Too busy
Too chubby
Too messed up
Too afraid
Too shy
Too pushy
Too loud
Too ___________ (fill in your own blank)
When I was younger, every report card that came to my house said the exact same thing, “Sandi talks TOO much in the classroom and is a distraction in class.” Year after year, the teacher would report this to my parents as if it was a new phenomenon. I remember thinking, “Could it possibly be that I was made this way? Can I really change that basic personality trait? And why is talking such a bad thing? Aren’t we made to communicate with one another? Doesn’t that separate us from the actual animals?” None of those questions would have been received well from the authority figures in my life at that point so I kept them to myself and tried to keep my mouth shut. Obviously, that did not work very well for me since I kept right on talking to this day!
Most people can recall someone telling them that they were “too” something and it defined them.
When we are labeled “too shy”, we rarely speak up even though we might have something valuable to offer to the conversation. Our girls become “too pushy” or “too bossy” especially our African American women (which by the way is absurd). We should be seen as leaders and not be shoved down for our voice. Our “too’s” become the silent anthem that plays in our heads when approaching a new challenge or opportunity.
We sell ourselves short and live smaller than God ever intended us to live.
There are countless examples of the “too” principle in the Bible:
Jeremiah - too young
Martha - too busy
Peter - too mouthy
Judas - too greedy
David - too young
Samson - too lustful
Isaiah - too talky
James and John - too prideful
Solomon - too wise
When God calls us towards our purpose, the natural response is to question our perceived weakness yet the enemy's voice tries desperately to confirm it.
How easy it is to believe a lie!
Our “too” is extremely important to God; He created us with our “too” and wants us to express it fully. Jeremiah 32:27 states, “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? Nothing is too hard for God and we are created in His image which means our “too” is a reflection of Him. How do we embrace our “too” and live without the stigma of being “too much”?
In the Oxford dictionary, too is defined as to a higher degree than is desirable, permissible, or possible; excessively.
Boldly, be thankful for your individual “too” and display it with honor and integrity.
Your “too” was given only to you by God; you are the only person in the entire universe throughout history and time that has it. Your “too” is highly unique to you and allows God to use your “too” in extraordinary ways. Fight the urge to dismiss, minimize or feel negative about how God wired you. Nothing is too hard for God and be thankful for your “too”.
Comments