Yes, that’s right – quote yourself.

Whether it is via twitter, or on your blog, facebook, linkedin, wherever you hang out . . . . there are ALWAYS quotes from famous people, (philosophers, footballers, miscellaneous celebrities, spoof celebrities . . . in the Christian world, this can be on either side of the pond (US people, the occasional UK Church leader . . . ) and, ok, sometimes any of these people can come out with something that just hits your “yes” button and you write it down, RT on twitter, like it on facebook etc.

BUT, I also think that sometimes this has the effect of shutting down or limiting our own creativity, understanding, wisdom and insight.  I have some amazing and humble friends who I listen to when they speak.  They don’t think they have much to say, but WOW, do they know stuff!

SO DO YOU.  There is not much I have seen repeatedly quoted (apparently uttered by a famous person) that has not been uttered before.  It is tricky to know where a load of great quotes originate from, especially when a load of people don’t attribute anything they say to anyone else.  It is a bit lazy!

The thing is often, in Christian gatherings particularly, I have picked up more from listening to the buzz of conversation around me, than I have from the “speaker” the “famous person” the supposedly more quotable Christian.  We do not need to rely on nuggets dropped to us from a few people (the fewer we listen too, the more often we are likely to find the same things being said again and again – well, that’s been my experience).

So, here is the thing.  Have confidence in yourself.  If you are a Christian, have confidence that God is speaking to you, through His Spirit, through His Word (and, yes He does speak to us through others – but I have most often found that this is through people who actually KNOW me).  Why not spend a week sharing your own thoughts on twitter?  Bucking the trend and NOT RT stuff left right and centre, but believing that God might speak through YOU for the benefit of others . . .

When Christ died, the veil was torn in two.  Each of us can come in to the Holy place, there is now one mediator between God and Man, it is Jesus Himself.  Others (however great and wise they appear) cannot replace the word of God, nor can they encourage our hearts in the way that God can through His Spirit communing with our Spirit.

YES, it does take more time to compose your own thoughts than it does to hit RT, or LIKE.  But, think of the buzz we could have if we all shared what God was saying.  In those days, the Bible says . . . . “I will pour out my Spirit on ALL flesh”, not just a special few . . .

Give it a go, let me know what you think – quote yourself.