rebelling against low expectations
My 9th-grade high school band class had quite a variety of people. Some were dedicated to music, others only passed as musicians if you squinted a little. I like to think I fell somewhere in the middle. Despite the occasional dying-goose-like squawks, I played the clarinet decently. Not as well as the hardcore music student who sat beside me, of course. But certainly not as badly as the ‘I-only...
Recently I found a paper entitled “My Fear of Failure,” that I had written for an introductory writing course three years ago. I almost cried as I re-read it, because of how dismal my outlook was back then. At one point I had written the following: “If I could push aside this fear of failure, I’d be nearly limitless. I have dreams of going on adventures that I could never do now because my fear...
Joseph’s Hardships He sits alone in a prison cell. He was supposed to be freed months ago. But apparently he had been forgotten. Again. Actually, he shouldn’t have been in prison to begin with. But lies and rumors had landed him behind bars. Before this, he had worked so faithfully for his master, doing whatever he asked, going above and beyond. And yet, here he was. Actually, he shouldn’t...
Fitting an arrow to the string, the crown prince took aim and released. The arrow flew through the air, landing a great distance away. A small boy–his servant–hurried to pick it up and bring it back to him. “Is not the arrow beyond you?” he called after the boy. As he said those words, he remembered his excellent education, his training with a sword and bow, his preparation to be a...
Life is hard. I’m not talking about doing hard things, I’m talking about life that’s hard. Death in the family, sickness, despair, the sin in our world that we can’t stop, but we do look to God to help us with it. But sometimes even that can be really hard. The difficulties in life can make us ask, “Why God? Why would you let this happen?” And trust me, I’ve been living with that question for a...
When we’re caught up in Rebelutionary living and striving to do big, hard, risky things, it’s easy to forget the why. Why leave our comfort zones? Why live radically? Why do hard things? Because Jesus breathed life into our dead souls (John 5:24) and calls us to live for his glory (1 Corinthians 15:49). This gospel characterizes the Rebelutionary. It breeds radical intentionality. In a lazy...
Editor’s Note: Recently, a young lady named Kat sent us this question. We loved her question and passion for Christ so much that Sara, our lead editor, wrote an article in response. We hope Kat’s story and the ideas listed below inspire you to do hard things and change the world around you! I first found out about the Rebelution when my mom gave my brother a book called “Do Hard Things...
I never realized how much the fear of inadequacy controlled my life until recently. I’ve always been afraid– afraid of being incapable of doing a good job, and then fearing that my expectations of a “good job” weren’t high enough. Afraid of making mistakes, and then fearing of what other people might think of me when I did. Have you ever experienced this overwhelming feeling of failure and...
Editor’s Note: Throughout the years, TheReb has published thousands of articles, each challenging and encouraging Rebelutionaries to do hard things and seek God. But among these posts, some have especially resonated with you, our readers. So over the next few weeks and months, we’re bringing back these classics, reposting our most popular and well-read articles every Thursday. May they encourage...
With the recent New York Reproductive Health Act and the March for Life in Washington, D.C, our country is abuzz with talk about abortion. Many feminists are thrilled about the “new advances in women’s rights.” Countless people are excited for the prospect of new empowerment and freedom. Governor Cuomo reported, “The Reproductive Health Act is a historic victory for New Yorkers and for our...
rebelling against low expectations
