Hello! Happy (almost) weekend!
It’s FMF link-up time, which means we gather ’round to free write for five minutes flat on a single word prompt.
This week’s Five Minute Friday writing prompt is: CROWD
If you’re new to Five Minute Friday, you can learn more about the blog link-up here, and find our Facebook group here.
Ready to write?
[Tweet “Join the @5minutefriday #writing community for a five-minute writing challenge!”]
Setting my timer for five minutes, and . . . GO.
This past week I announce a new book I’ve been working on with co-author Shannon Popkin. It’s called Influence: Building a Platform that Elevates Jesus (Not Me), and I’m so excited to tell you more about it soon!
In the process of writing the book, I’ve been struck by the way Jesus interacted with the crowds during His ministry. On more than one occasion, He avoids the crowds altogether and instead either goes to a solitary place or moves on to another location with His disciples, that He may continue preaching elsewhere.
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he [Jesus] departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, ‘Everyone is looking for you.’ And he said to them, ‘Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out’” (Mark 1:35-38, ESV).
So many of us in this writing and speaking sphere bend over backwards to get an attentive audience. We try all sorts of things to get people to listen to us, to read our work, to attend our events, to pay attention.
Jesus had an audience seeking Him out. He didn’t have to post on social media to try to get people to read His message; they lined up, waiting to hear what He had to say. And yet, He chose to walk away from them.
He could have succumbed to the temptation for popularity. He could have let pride inflate His ego: “Everyone is looking for Me.” Instead, He moved on. Why? To fulfill His purpose: “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out” (Mark 1:38, emphasis mine).
Yes, He preached to multitudes — but He also invested in the Twelve. Yes, He had compassion on crowds — but He also poured the bulk of His ministry into His much smaller band of faithful disciples, trusting that they would carry on His work when He was gone.
STOP.
What comes to mind when YOU think of the word, CROWD? Share with us in the blog link-up below!
ALSO: If you haven’t heard yet,
we’re doing 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes again this October!
Learn more HERE
31 DAYS OF FIVE MINUTE FREE WRITES
Happy writing, friends! (And don’t forget to leave a comment on the blog linked up before yours!)
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Maybe the key lies in finding twelve people who will share what you write with the world…but how does one do that? I look forward to reading your next book baby :).
Interesting take on this. In modern social media parlance, I guess the multitudes were following him, and the Apostles were the Street Team.
Both necessary, and both honourable places.
FIVE MINUTE FRIDAY: CROWD
Crowd… my worries try to crowd out my joy these days. I continually find myself having to redirect my thoughts and feelings choosing to divert them to prayer instead. The Scriptures tell us to “pray without ceasing”, they encourage us, “do not worry about anything but instead with prayer and supplication, lift them to the Lord in prayer.” Yet, I still find myself sitting in a stupor of what ifs?
The crowd in my heart as I wonder “if only”. Oh, how I want my heart to automatically divert from worry to prayer. How I want there to be a crowd of joy bursting forth from my heart. Yet, these days it is difficult. Yet, I choose joy. I know that my strength comes from the Joy of the Lord, not from myself. So, here I sit. On a five minute Friday, taking the few moments to commiserate, to confess, and then to toss this crowd of negative thoughts into the abyss! I refuse to let them crowd out my choice to live in surrendered joy. I will not allow my emotions to crowd out my spiritual strength! Today is yet another day to thrive, to fully live, to surrender and thus to prosper. O’ my Lord, how great is Your strength and faithfulness. I surrender my crowded, overwhelmed heart and mind and ask You to instead overflow me with your grace. I know You will not fail me for You are good, and righteous, and holy, and faithful.
And, they did. xo
Great blog, so true we want people to follow us on all the media yet where is the Glory of God in that. When Jesus was here on earth as a man, He sought no glory for self but for God to be glorified so people could see He is real, true and full of love for people.
Dude. This one hits me. He moved on because that’s what He was supposed to do. He was on mission and nothing would distract Him from that. Something I need to sit with.
I really appreciate the main message of seeking a solid connection with just a few, instead of chasing after the many. But what also stood out for me was the option to rise very early in the morning, and prioritize the most important task.
Such great points! I love the one about how others sought Him out! May we be salty enough to cause others to do that in our own lives.
Great points! Love the one about how others sought Him out. May we be salty enough to cause others to do that in our own lives.
Always so interesting how one prompt word can take each of us such different places. Always inspiring and fun to read the varied FMF posts. Yours really struck a chord this week so I look forward to reading your new book.