Saying “yes” to things we fear often positions us to flourish.
Gideon, the Manassite who would become one of ancient Israel’s most accomplished judges, discovered this fact when an intriguing job offer came his way.
It happened like this:
“Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.’… Go in the strength you have and deliver Israel from the grasp of Midian. I am sending you!”
—Judges 6:12-14
God did not stutter when he assigned Gideon to deliver the Israelites from their enemies.
He made it beyond clear that He—the One in charge and with the power—had chosen Gideon for the task and would help him.
Yet, full of doubt and fear, Gideon argued with God, citing his shortcomings and the current political climate as evidence of his inadequacy for the job.
As if God didn’t know who Gideon was or what was going on.
It took one supernaturally-prepared barbecue dinner and two fleeces before Gideon finally got to work.
By then, Israel’s new judge understood that God knew exactly who he was.
More importantly, he understood who God was: the One who had commissioned him and would provide everything needed to accomplish the task.
Centuries later, similarly, the great Renaissance artist🎨 Michelangelo delayed saying “yes” to an intriguing career opportunity.
His greatest patron, Pope Paul III, had asked him to serve as the supreme architect for St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
With such a sweet offer on the table, saying “yes” should have been easy for Michelangelo.
Yet, for two months, he countered the pope’s offer with letter after letter detailing why he was the wrong guy for the job.
For one thing, at age 70, Michelangelo thought himself too old and incapable of seeing the project through to completion.
THE DOGGED PERSISTENCE OF THINGS WE FEAR
He feared the workers, loyal to the previous and more experienced lead architect, would resist following him.
And as an artist accustomed to working alone, he also feared that the men who would be his overseers would get in his way.
Worse still, Michelangelo was still reeling with grief over the death of several friends in recent months and felt emotionally spent.
He just wasn’t up to it.
Because of all this, Michelangelo Buonarroti, one of the most accomplished artists of all time, including his own, was afraid of saying “yes.”
Ultimately, however, the pope’s confidence in his plan and chosen architect proved more potent than that architect’s fears.
And, by January 1547, Michelangelo had come around to accepting these three things:
- Someone had said he, Michelangelo, was the right one for the job.
- That someone was the pope, God’s earthly🌍 representative.
- The first two things qualified him for the job.
Newly infused with confidence about his calling, the artist settled down and committed himself to the assignment.
He now regarded the building of St. Peter’s with its remarkable dome as work that was uniquely his to do, saying:
“Many believe – and I believe – that I have been designated for this work by God. In spite of my old age, I do not want to give it up; I work out of love for God, and I put all my hope in Him. ”
FROM FEAR TO FOCUS
God and St. Peter’s Basilica became the focus of Michelangelo’s unshakable devotion for the remaining (and highly productive) years of his career.
What about you?
Is there a challenging project or new path you’re being invited to pursue that intrigues and unsettles you?
Don’t be so quick to discard that invitation.
Instead, consider saying “Yes,” and go with the strength you have.
It may be an arrow pointing you to one of the most significant and satisfying challenges in your creative life.
VIRTUAL JOURNEYS
🏛️ WANDER THE DOME OF ST. PETER’S BASILICA FROM HOME
EXPLORE: Take this virtual tour of St. Peter’s roof, dome, and top.
FUN FACTS
St. Peter’s Basilica has the largest dome in the world in terms of interior height. It stands at 136.57 meters (448.1 feet) from the floor to the top of the cross.
So if you ever feel small standing underneath it, that’s because you are.☺️
This dome isn’t just one massive shell, but two! There’s an inner and an outer layer, working together to hold up all that weight. It’s a brilliant engineering strategy used for the Florence Cathedral.
~ The double-layer is also in use at Les Invalides in Paris. Les Invalides is the architectural complex that houses Napoleon Bonaparte’s tomb, among other notable items.
“To stand beneath the dome of St. Peter’s is to feel the weight of history and the lightness of eternity all at once.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (adapted from his travel diaries in Italy)
QUOTES FROM CREATIVES FOR CREATIVES
🖊️ENCOURAGEMENT TO MAKE SAYING “YES” EASIER TO DO
Here are seven quotes to help you wrestle self-doubt to the mat so you can get on with the work of your calling.
- Inner conflict is often a confirmation of your calling.—Pastor and Author Steven Furtick, Crash the Chatterbox
- Are you paralyzed with fear😶? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember our rule of thumb: The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.”—Steven Pressfield, The War of Art
- If you hear a voice within you saying, “You are not a painter🎨,” then by all means paint . . . and that voice will be silenced, but only by working.—Vincent van Gogh, in a letter to Theo van Gogh, 28 October 1883
- Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God✨ is with you wherever you go.—Judges 1:9 (ESV)
- Oftentimes, what is required on our part is taking a step, making the move, doing the thing that God has asked us to do without the accompanying emotions to go along with it. However, as you continue to walk by faith in the direction God has called you, your emotions are soon to follow.—Pastor and Author Tony Evans
- I don’t think there is an artist of any value💎 who doesn’t doubt what they are doing.—Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola
- If you’re willing to do something that might not work, then you’re closer to being an artist.—Author, Entrepreneur, and Teacher Seth Godin
?????????????
Which quote resonated with you most and why? JOURNAL about it.
GET THE MUSELETTER DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.
