I don’t know about you, but I LOVE TED Talks. What are TED Talks?
TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world.
If you love TED talks and are wanting something similar but on the religious side, you should try Hope Works.
Hope Works is a series of videos captured at live events where presenters share interesting insights about hope and faith and how it works in their lives.
I was introduced to Hope Works when a friend shared this video on Facebook:
I was intrigued. Reminiscent enough of TED talks to instantly draw me in, yet on a spiritual topic that I really learned and grew from. Tiffany talks about the perfect lie in relation to perfectionism. I won’t spoil it and tell you exactly what her definition of ‘the perfect lie’ is. You’ll have to watch it for yourself! (If you are more of a reader, the print copy is available here.)
Tiffany shared some equations:
This is how we usually view our journey to Christ:
She spoke of a list that she had made of where she saw herself in 15 years and then how life happened and she felt that she could never achieve that perfect life she had drawn out on paper.
Can’t we all relate to that? We wish that there were more of us to go around and help our children and our community, but then we look in the mirror and wish that there was a little less of us when we step on the scale.
I really loved this part of her talk:
When 5,000 people needed to be fed and the only food available was a meager five loaves of bread and two fish, the Lord didn’t say it wasn’t enough. He didn’t look away or condemn. No! He took what they had and used His power to make it enough to feed thousands.
When those at the wedding feast wanted wine and there was none, Christ didn’t judge or ask who had planned so poorly. He told them to fill the stone jugs with what they had, which was water, and then to trust Him. And He turned the water into wine, and not just wine, but the finest wine they had had all night.
He made shortcomings not just adequate, or enough, but more than enough.
I thought of all the times where I have had to totally rely on grace to get me through. LIFE IS HARD! When I see the hardships of others’ lives, I feel like I have no room to complain. And yet, our Savior Jesus Christ knows each of us perfectly and knows how to best help us to come unto Him.
Her final equation turned into this:
The biggest thing that I learned through this talk was an extension of what Tiffany said. I thought about the stories that she shared above of Christ feeding the 5,000 and turning water into wine at the wedding feast. I also thought of the Brother of Jared having the Savior touch the stones so they would have light in their boats. In each of these instances the people came to Christ with a specific solution to their problem. Jesus Christ didn’t just walk up to them and say “it looks like you need help, let me fix that”. He waited until they asked him for help and presented him with a plan.
So often my prayers revolve around phrases like “please help me have patience” or “please help us be on time”. I might as well say “please let the miracles just rain down on us all day” because that’s what it would take to have these two things.
God wants to help us grow. I may be getting exactly what I pray for in having multiple experiences every day that try my patience to help me develop the very gift I constantly pray for!
If we truly want God to make us more than we are, we need to present him with a specific plan. He wants us to succeed and He will help us execute that plan.
Tiffany closed with this:
When we put Christ in His proper place, when we come to Him and get to know Him, there is nothing that He can’t equal us to. With Christ, we can be kinder. With Christ, we will feel loved. With Christ, we will always have a friend. With Christ, we will be happy.
For with Christ we are enough. We are powerful. We are more.
I have seen this first hand. I was grateful for the reminder at a time when I desperately need Christ to make me more!
How has Christ help YOU become more?
When I saw Tiffany’s video, it struck a chord with me. I’m always trying to be “more”. Without including Christ in my efforts, all I do is wear myself out and feel overwhelmed. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this very thought provoking article.