Unpublished: Love Well Locally

Last fall at the Streaming conference the host Mark Love, who is also a good friend, was interviewing Greg Boyd and I. Mark asked us how we keep our self-esteem in check given that we are asked to speak at various events.

First of all, I said, compared to Greg I don't really travel or speak all that much.

Still, I speak more than many people do and, obviously, being a "featured speaker" can inflate your self-concept and feelings of self-importance.

So what do I do to deal with that? That was Mark's question.

My answer was this: I try to pour myself into my local congregation. I try to love well locally. I try to love the people who are in my life week to week.

For example, as I've written about before, I often drive the van for our church plant Freedom Fellowship. Or I help take friends home after church if they don't have a car. Often with a stop at Dairy Queen so we can spend more time visiting.

And during the week I go over to visit Kristi at her assisted living facility. And not just to visit Kristi but with everyone who I've come to be friends with there.

Over and over, whether it's driving a van, buying ice cream for friends or visiting Kristi, in these places I find I'm the best version of myself. Places where I don't care about who is or is not paying attention to me, reading me, Tweeting me. I'm just with my brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Love well locally. If I have a secret to dealing with ego, that's it.

--an unpublished post

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