rebelling against low expectations
Our recent post on the balance between what we call “big” hard things and “small” hard things reminded us that we haven’t really spent much time explaining the distinction between these two categories — a distinction we ourselves wrestled with while writing our book. This post (which will probably turn into a series of posts) will try to address some common...
One of the key principles behind the Rebelution is the balance between “big hard things” and “small hard things.” Big hard things are hard things that are often too big for us to do alone. Small hard things are hard things that don’t pay off immediately — and that are often repetitive and seemingly insignificant. This principle of “small” and...
Brett and I are in Minneapolis for the Desiring God’s Fathers and Sons Pastors’ Conference with our father, older brothers Josh and Joel, and younger brother Isaac. Last night we had a special Tour Preview at Bethlehem Baptist Church, and were interviewed by 12-year-old Talitha Piper for the DesiringGod.org Blog. Talitha’s Interview with the Harrises Alex and Brett, the name of...
Now it might seem confusing that we are telling you to not despise the day of small things, but also to avoid getting stuck there, and to keep going. We quote Jim Elliott saying, “Wherever you are — be there 100%” while also instructing you to pursue every open door. It could seem like we want everyone to “stay where they are” and “move” at the same time. In reality our hope is that you would...
When we are faithful where we are God is faithful to open doors to bigger things. But we still have to move to get through them. So many young people say they are waiting on God’s leading, yet they are not moving to explore the opportunities right in front of them. Some of this stems from laziness, some from fear of failure, and the rest from simply misunderstanding how the leading of God works...
So how do we avoid getting stuck? How do we continue to make progress towards the big things God has called us to do — especially when we aren’t even sure of what those big things are yet? The first answer to that question is provided by Jim Elliott, one of the five young missionaries martyred by the Auca Indians in South America. He wrote, “Wherever you are — be there 100%.” This answer may...
Thomas Huxley was wrong about a lot of things, but he was right when he wrote, “The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man’s foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher.” Theodore Roosevelt’s life is an amazing example of a man who lived every day as if it were his last, worked every job as if he’d never have another, and in the end found himself...
History tells us that our best life is not our easiest life. Those men and women who were of the greatest service to God and to mankind were those who gave the most of themselves; those who endeavored, not to avoid difficulties, but to overcome them; not to seek comfort, but to do what was necessary, no matter how hard. These are the men and women who made decisions, not on the basis of...
This world would have you think that your best life would be a life in which you were able to completely avoid responsibility and effort. But such a life would be as pale and flabby as the body of a man who had never moved and never seen the sun. It could be compared to the strange fish that live in the complete darkness of the deepest parts of the ocean, who never come in contact with a hard...
As we enter the New Year — a season of resolution making — we want to share a post Brett made at the start of 2006. How time flies. And please note, we’re both still working on these. Join us as we recommit to the fight. Every time New Year’s Eve rolls around, I have this incredible urge to make resolutions. Fortunately, I’m not alone. Millions of people around the world view...
rebelling against low expectations
