Upstaged

He must increase, but I must decrease. -John 3:30 (ESV)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28 (NIV)

My show was so tired. It had jumped the shark years before…a predictable storyline that was so repetitive…so shallow and formulaic. No meat or spiritual depth or meaning that was underlying the action. In its 40th year, my banal show was begging for a reboot.

New characters, new life, new everything

My show was completely rebooted when Jesus came on the scene. He completely upstaged me and everything else. I was unplugged. My show…was no longer my show at all. It was the Jesus Show! I became a supporting character, and in that role, my storyline flourished, because the core problem was that my storyline was incorrectly focused on me as the star.

The scale of the show completely and exponentially exploded. It went from navel-gazing to epic…to a grand scale interlinking other shows in a colossal story where you could see shows criss-crossing, interleaving, and intersecting here and there to tell a much larger story…to achieve a much larger purpose.

The show lit up like never before. The atmosphere went from dark and dreary to bright and vibrant. My character was infused with new depth and Spirit and character and courage and faith…and more and more, it was becoming evident through words and deeds in the storyline. The show’s storylines now were so deep in purpose and meaning, though watchers would have to wait to see how the complex, interwoven stories would play out.

But it was also engaging like never before! The show turned off some old audiences from the format change, while some new audiences came on board. I learned that though the audience for my character may have decreased, its numbers were now made of solid brothers and sisters who understood that it wasn’t about my character, but that my character’s supporting role was to help put more light on Jesus, the main character. And I can see the overall fan base for the Jesus Show growing; the direction and trajectory of the show only continues to shoot ever upward. The Jesus Show succeeds on all levels.

Ready to reboot?

If you’re tired of your show, introduce Jesus to it and let him steal your show. Step back and let Him increase as you decrease, as John the Forerunner said. The Jesus Show has amazing highs and dramatic lows, but they all are very purposeful and intentional in outcomes for God’s children (Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11). So fear not, God is with you (Isaiah 41:10)…let Him steal your show!

Today’s soundtrack

Toby Mac’s “Steal My Show” asks the Lord to take it away!