I have this friend Ryan… He has a pretty cool testimony of how he tried to do things his way, and then turned his life over to Christ. He is on fire for God right now and currently preparing for a mission trip to Africa. I used to notice that Ryan always had on bracelets or t-shirts or hats that say, “I Am Second” so I asked him once about what it meant. It’s actually an organization/movement that focuses on putting Christ first. Here’s what their website says:
I am Second is a movement meant to inspire people of all kinds to live for God and for others. Actors. Athletes. Musicians. Business leaders. Drug addicts. Your next-door neighbor. People like you. The authentic stories on iamsecond.com provide insight into dealing with typical struggles of everyday living. These are stories that give hope to the lonely and the hurting, help from destructive lifestyles, and inspiration to the unfulfilled. You’ll discover people who’ve tried to go it alone and have failed. Find the hope, peace, and fulfillment they found. Be Second.
If you go to the website, you can watch videos of people from all walks of lives – famous athletes, coaches, actors – all kinds of people – who have decided to put God first in their lives. Each interview/testimony ends this way, “I am…. And I am second.”
Ryan gave me an I Am Second bracelet, and something extraordinary happened. Suddenly I had a constant reminder that this life is not all about me. There have been so many times that I have wanted to respond to a situation in a certain way, but glanced down at the bracelet and remembered that there are things more important than my “rights” or my feelings or anything that involves me. I guess it’s reminiscent of when everyone was wearing the “WWJD” bracelets, but for me, this is more significant. I can’t even explain it. I really don’t even have to see the bracelet anymore because the thought is becoming second nature to me – whatever the situation, how can I put Christ and others first? I still wear it though… because other people see it and ask what it means. It opens the door for me to share with them as well.
The verse that comes to me when I think about it is Colossians 1:18, “…that in all things, He might have the pre-eminence…” All things. All. Wow, what a thought! What if I could really live my life in such a way that in everything that I did and said, Christ came to the forefront?
I’m not a famous actor or athlete or coach or anything visible to thousands and thousands of people. But there are still people that I impact every day. What kind of impact do I make? When I am gone, will they remember me? Or will they remember what Christ did through me?
I am Dorina Atkins…and I am second.
I love this Dorina! You and your bracelet have definitely made an impact on me. It's funny, I wore that bracelet one night but that one night planted a seed and the thought for me has remained...I am second. It's not always an easy thing to put into practice but it's something that I am working on everyday because it's truth!
ReplyDeleteI heard Paul Tripp speak in December, and he said, "The enemy will whisper to you every day that you don't have enough..." and it really affected me. It made me realize how often I listen to that voice and put myself first. I am second. I like that. :-)
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