For continued success, be a novice

Luke 5: 37 “And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’ “

The amygdala, or lizard brain as some call it, is the brain’s region that controls our base motivation and emotional behavior. Scientists say the amygdala acts as a resistor, often through fear. It’s that part of us that keeps us quiet when we disagree, or from finishing projects that make us vulnerable to criticism. The people I admire silenced this resistor, moved into uncharted, creative territory, and changed the world.

In “Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?, Seth Godin challenges us to overcome the lizard brain resistance by:

  • Being impatient with the status quo
  • Not copying someone else’s tactics
  • Doing something new

Resistance to change could be holding us back from experiencing more of God.

Don’t miss this revelation from the wineskin parable: inexperience is a prerequisite for fresh wine. If you want a fresh outpouring, you must be a new wineskin; a novice.

Be adventurous in your pursuit of Jesus. Drop your nets and follow Him.
You don’t have to have it figured out. In fact, it only works if you don’t.
Step out in faith and try something new. Only then, when you are lacking experience and completely out of your depth, have you met the conditions for new wine.

And don’t miss the second key take-away: not everyone will come with you. No one after drinking the old, wants the new. Sometimes you have to leave others behind to truly follow Christ into new territory.

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