The Zebra Stripes: Learning to See What Makes a Difference
It has really become clear to me that the largest steps I've been able to take, to reference our previous figure, have come on the heels of candid conversations with people whose faith inspires me.
The Zebra Stripes
Play the original Excel Still More episode here without leaving the article.
The principle
And more than just worshiping with them, getting there early and having conversations with them, staying afterwards and hearing them, having coffee with someone who you trust who can tell you you need to do things and you will listen. Opening up your home, yes, once again, in America, opening up our homes so that we can explore deeper relationships, learn more than just token facts and figures, and become powerful influences in our faith and walk.
It has really become clear to me that the largest steps I've been able to take, to reference our previous figure, have come on the heels of candid conversations with people whose faith inspires me.
The deeper lesson
I mentioned to you that we did an episode in the second month of this podcast in 2019 called Your Inner Circle, where you need people near you who make you better. You need to see their faces, hear their voices, speak to them, worship with them, know them, and there is simply no substitute for that.
So today, to help drive that point home and help you remember it, I just want to use the next ten minutes talking to you about zebras, particularly their stripes.
What it changes
However, when they are in a herd, when the zebras physically and literally stick together, something interesting happens. Obviously a big glob of zebras stick out like unbelievably in the terrain, but through the eyes of the lion, all of those stripes globed together create this large, confusing mass that disorients the predator, the lion.
Even though the lion is probably colorblind, that pattern all amassed together makes it impossible for him to pick out just one.
Live it today
I need to be having conversations with, sitting down and enjoying coffee with, and being honest with fellow believers who will work with me, who care about me, who don't want me to be on my own. I've always found it to be the saddest thing about living outside of Christ that there's so many people in this world who are alone, who move to a new city and they know no one and they have no help.
But sometimes I wonder if Christians aren't behaving that same way, even though we do have fellow believers, but we don't spend time with them, and we don't open up our homes to them, and we try to go it alone.
Take the idea with you.
- 01Where do I see the problem or opportunity described in “The Zebra Stripes: Learning to See What Makes a Difference” in my own life?
- 02What Scripture or spiritual principle in this study most needs my attention?
- 03What one specific change can I make this week to put this teaching into practice?
Prefer listening?
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