Last time I wrote about how believing something doesn’t make it true. Now I want to extend that thought and boldly proclaim that even if something IS true, it may not be relevant.
Did you know that in a court of law, not every fact or truth is admitted into evidence? One of the most important things I did as a judge was to determine what was relevant. It may have been true that a person was unhoused or struggling financially, but those things may be irrelevant to whether or not the person committed a crime. There are many things that may have once been considered true, but were completely irrelevant to God.
It was once considered scientifically true that people could not fly from one state to the other. A technological truth was that you could not make calls, take pictures or conduct business on a device that fits in your hand. Not too long ago, society considered it a fact and created a law that African Americans were property and could not vote, own land or participate fully in society. Each of those so-called facts or truths were irrelevant to a God who can do the impossible.
I wonder what facts, truths or statistics are limiting you? Do you believe that you’re too old to start a business or find love? Do you think you’re too young to lead a major movement? Do you believe that you’re just not talented enough to write the song, write the book or create the latest technology? Maybe you’ve just never seen anyone who looks like you do what you dream of doing. Just because you’ve never seen it before doesn’t mean it can’t be done! It just might mean that you’ll have to be the first.
What would your life look like if every limiting belief you had was irrelevant? Who could you become if your beliefs got into alignment with God’s omnipotence?
When I was seeking an appointment to the bench, there were many facts not in my favor. Only 2% of judges were African American, there were no judges under 45 years of age and there were no judges appointed from the defense bar. If I were looking at facts and truth instead of heeding the call from God, I would not have even tried. All of those things were true, but God said that they were irrelevant. There was no possible way to even try to control all of the circumstances that led to my appointment when I was 40 years old—who was governor, who was on the appointment committee, the several unlikely allies who would come out and support me. It turns out that I was exactly who they were looking for.
Trusting God is not ignoring the things that are true. It’s believing that even if it’s true, it may be irrelevant. If God be for you, what facts or statistics can be against you? Look beyond the facts and believe in what God says about you.
Presiding Action
Think about some of the things you have already accomplished. List the obstacles that you overcame to achieve that thing. Celebrate the fact that those obstacles or facts were irrelevant to you achieving your goals. Now, list something that you still desire to achieve. Next, list all of the excuses you made for not going after that dream—“I’m too old”, “I’m too young”, “I’m not, __________ enough”. Look at each item on that list and just ask yourself, is this true? It may or may not be true, but even if it is true, ask yourself if it is relevant. Finally, remember that God is not bound by your limitations. Expand your vision to see what God sees for you.