Your Goal: Make an Idiot of Yourself

Some of you may or may not know this but I actually offer private acting lessons. I have only had two students but I've had to take a break from the lessons since moving to Minneapolis.

Anyways!
I was coaching a young girl (14) and was teaching her the importance of bold choices. Now there isn't really an exact definition for bold choices, but if you mention it to any actor who knows his salt, he'll know exactly what you mean. The way I define it to my kiddies is this: an interesting and risky choice in a scene that may or may not be successful. I believe that anyone can be a great actor if they hone the skill of making bold choices. Now I didn't read that anywhere, this is based on my own discovery.

So I was taking my young pupil through a monologue and challenging her to make bold choices. I told her the goal for the next run-through was to make herself look like an idiot. All I wanted was for her to do her monologue and make a fool of herself.

This is difficult, my friends! ESPECIALLY if you were raised in middle-class white America. We are all taught that looking like a fool is unacceptable- that we have to constantly keep our cool and never put ourselves in a situation that might lead to embarrassment or judgment. 

I told my student that this is my mantra for each audition I go to. "I'm going to go in there and my goal is to make a fool of myself. To find places to take risks." That is because those are the type of people that get noticed and more importantly hired. 

I had to start doing this because I have a mild case of social anxiety. I some times have hard times walking into classrooms or parties because I fear that I am going to be late, or early, or overdressed, or underdressed, or in the wrong place, or I wasn't actually invited- all these thoughts run through my head. I had to teach myself that there is nothing wrong with being embarrassed or uncomfortable or wrong about something.

I was reminded of this thought while doing some reading this morning. I'm currently making my way through several books (some include Spirituality and You, The Devil in the White City, Radical Faith, The Screwtape Letters, and What's So Great About Christianity. . . I have a horrible habit of reading several books at once, taking my 6 times as long to read each book.) But the book I was reading this morning is When Heaven Invades Earth by Bill Johnson who is the pastor over at Bethel and is known for his work with the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry

(Too many links!) Anyways, in my readings I have found Bill giving several examples of how people have stepped out in faith and saw miraculous things happen. My favorite story is of a man ordering food in a fast-food restaurant and starts ministering not to the people taking his order, but to people in their car who are waiting in the drive thru window!

He goes on to talk about moving to the realm beyond reason to follow Gods voice:

“In New Testament terms, being a people focused on His presence means that we are willing to live beyond reason. Not impulsively or foolishly, for these are poor imitations for real faith. The realm beyond reason is the world of obedience to God. Obedience is the expression of faith, and faith is our claim ticket to the God realm.”

This was very profound for me.  Many of my prayers recently have been for God to grow my faith and give me strength to step out in boldness. I want to praise God in church the way I praise him in my living room when my roommates are out of town. I want to lay hands and pray for my coworkers when they have a headache. I want to call out to a stranger and speak His truth to them. I want to see people healed and freed. But my anxiety holds my flesh back from the desires of my spirit.

And I’m reminded of my young student. She had absolutely nothing to fear but her own ego. I stood in a room alone with her and asked her to step out of her comfort zone- this freedom would lead her to roles and talent currently appearing out of her reach . . . but she had to attempt to function in this state of discomfort.

As you can imagine I correlated this to the things God is calling me to do. My students desire was already there to achieve greatness; I was only showing her how to get there. My desire to live in boldness and access the supernatural is already there. God is only showing me how to get there.


As an actor I had to deal with my anxiety and find ways to not just function, but flourish in an audition despite my emotions. My next big task is to flourish in my identity as a person who allows heaven and miracles to come earth. So my mantra to make myself look like and idiot no longer pertains to just my acting, but will now apply to my obedience in Christ.