SoulFit: Stop Shrinking to Fit the Room

We connect a funny movie memory to a serious habit: shrinking ourselves to fit the room, then wondering why we feel unseen and stuck. We challenge ourselves to live like the light God says we already are, using our gifts with confidence and humility instead of chasing approval. 
• why we hold back opinions and downplay accomplishments 
• the Matthew 5 picture of a lamp meant to shine 
• the difference between humility and pretending we have nothing 
• owning our strengths without making it about us 
• Romans 12 gifts and why every role matters 
• “dimmer switch” living and the cost of staying quiet 
• practical examples of shrinking: not calling, not serving, not praying 
• choosing obedience over people pleasing and taking up space 
And thank you to each of you for joining us on this week's Soul Fit. Look forward to seeing you right here next time on SoulFit. 

https://aarondegler.com/

Transcript

A Movie Metaphor For Feeling Small

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Maybe you remember the movie because y'all know I love movies. Honey I shrunk the kids. It was with something Morris. But anyhow, I think it was. You can't see it, but Kim's giving me a look. But I think it was something more. It doesn't sound great to me either, Kim. It doesn't me either. It's not his name. Y'all are gonna be Googling and tell me I'm wrong. It's uh Rick Moranis. Rick Moranis. I was close. Morris. I knew it was a more, yeah, Rick Moranes. So if you hadn't ever seen Honey I Shrunk the Kids, he was doing it making this thing to shrink things and accidentally shrunk his kids. And so they went, he got they got lost in the yard, and it was a whole thing. But as I was thinking about today, I was thinking about Honey I Shrunk the Kids because they were small and they and everything else, a blade of grass, looked like it was 10 feet tall to them. An ant looked like a like a dinosaur, big old, I can't think of it, mid, it's not medieval. Man, my words are not coming out today. Dragon? No, it was like prehistoric. Prehistoric. There it is. So we're gonna talk a little bit about, you know, it was an accident, of course,

Why We Shrink Around People

SPEAKER_00 1:18

that it that his kids got shrunk. It didn't mean to happen. Of course, it's always an accident. But sometimes we point that beam at ourselves and shrink. And we shrink ourselves when we enter a room for all sorts of reasons. So we're gonna talk about why do we do that and how do we stop shrinking to fit in a room? Because sometimes we we might think if we're stop shrinking to fit in a room, that would suggest that we're too big for the room. If you're shrinking to fit in the room or to fit the room. And so we're not actually gonna be talking the size of the room, but maybe the individuals or the people in the room. And why do we do that?

Let Your Light Shine

SPEAKER_00 2:00

I'm gonna start with a scripture from Matthew 5, 14 through 16 that says, You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Wouldn't that be the craziest thought to turn on a light and then cover it up? And you go, Well, that's kind of dumb. Why'd you turn on the light? But yet we do that all the time. We have a light to shine, but yet we cover it up to not let it shine. And as if we look, well, you know, if somebody put a blanket over a light we just turned on, you'd be like, What are you doing? I thought we needed light. You you'd question it, but we do that. So why do why do we do that? Why do we put something over our light? Why do we try to shrink? And and and sometimes we walk into a room, into a place, and we hold back our opinions, we downplay our accomplishments. And we're gonna talk a little bit about this, about you know how that works and what that looks like. And really, we can know two different people, right? That tell us all their opinions and all their accomplishments, all their gifts. We I mean, we know individuals like that, but how do we do that? We're gonna talk about how do we do that in a manner that, again, as the last verse and what I just read in the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good deeds and glorify the Father in heaven. Glorify him, not glorify me. Look at me, look at what I did. These

Humility Without Hiding Your Strengths

SPEAKER_00 4:00

are my, you know, these are what I did, these are my gifts. But we tend to we tend to downplay what you know our accomplishments. We uh tend to downplay what gifts we've been given. Some of us are really gifted, everybody has a gift. Some people have multiple gifts. The thing is, sometimes we don't take time to unwrap those gifts to discover what is that gift. Sometimes we're just really passionate about things and we apologize for that. We become quieter sometimes just so we don't draw too much attention to ourselves. We make ourselves smaller sometimes because we don't want to be criticized, we don't want to be rejected, we don't want or jealousy because sometimes why do we hold our opinions in? Well, what if we're criticized about that? What if I'm wrong? What if somebody doesn't want to be my friend or they reject me? And so we make ourselves smaller, and sometimes, a lot of times, we are like chameleons, which change colors with depending on the environment they're in. So we go, what room is this? Let me adjust to the temperature of that room so I can just blend in. And and so we're we might be one way at church, let me blend in there, and then we're one way with our friends, let me blend in there. And so, really, is what we're doing. We're shrinking in all these different rooms because that's not truly who we are in those different places, and so a lot of times it's not because we're shrinking because of lack of ability, but oftentimes we're doing that because we're afraid of what might happen if we fully become what God created us to be. Because he didn't make us, as it said in the beginning, light of the world, to light up others, to be a light around others. And when we're you know putting something over our light, we are really shrinking and not becoming fully what God intended us to be, which was a light. And he gave us all different ways to be a light that we're gonna talk about. And you know, and again, as I mentioned, we know those individuals that maybe say, look at all I've done. And and and you don't even have to ask their opinion because they'll be more than happy to share it with you on and on and on, and they'll say, They're so gifted at everything. And you know, they'll just keep sharing. But how do we how do we create humility and have humility, but yet still share those things? And I think sometimes we think about humility being is we don't we don't pretending we don't have anything to offer, even though we just are really like good at stuff. And so we pretend like, well, you know, I don't really have anything. That's not really humility. It it so humility is not saying, well, I don't have any talent, it's not saying I I don't really have anything important to say, I don't deserve to be here. It true humility is really about God gave me this gift, and I'm going to use it in a way that honors Him. And part of it is we have to find that gift. What is that gift that we've been given, and how do we use it in a manner that honors him by putting down others and speaking over others and making others feel less than? That's not honoring in any way. So I believe God has given me a gift speaking and saying words and putting them hopefully in a way that are understood. And so, how can I use that to honor him? Whether it's here, whether it's in a class, whether it's on another talk or virtual call, interacting with others, how can I best use those to honor them, honor him by the communication I have with others? I mean, speaking words and sharing is really just communication. So you might say, and and again, it's a gift that I think that when we all have a gift, it's not something we might be naturally born with. So we have to work on it, and we continue to get better at that gift. So it's about acknowledging what our strengths are without becoming prideful, and that's the difference. We don't want to be prideful. And and prideful is that gift, that is all me. I am all, I mean, I can paint because it is all me. I've worked on it, I can give a talk because I have spent hours and hours and hours doing it. That is all me. I am all the different things. If it points back to it is because of me, that is just being prideful. And typically, when we're might be in a room where other individuals are sharing about all those things, they keep pointing back to them, to them. And we do, and we probably know some of those individuals, and we probably also know those individuals that never take credit for it. They always give the glory to God of what He has done for me, what put this job in my place, put this home in my place, did this for our kids, did this for our relationship, did this for all the different things.

Your Gifts Strengthen The Whole Body

SPEAKER_00 9:20

And so in Romans 12, 3, 3 through 8, it says, For the grace given me, I say to every one of you, do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith of God has distributed to each of you. And I really like this part. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function. So in Christ we, through many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesizing, then prof, then prophecy, in accordance with your faith. If it is serving, then serve. If it is teaching, then teach. If it is to encourage, then encouragement. If it is giving, then give generously. If it is to lead, do it diligently. If it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. And so as we look at all those different gifts, it's those are not something to be embarrassed about. But your arm and hand have a different function than your leg and your foot. But aren't they all still part of your body? And collectively, they do some amazing things. You can climb, you can crawl, you can run, you can reach things, you can kick things, but collectively they all work together. And so each one of them are different than the other, but they all are part of our body, just as we all have different gifts, but we're all part of the body of Christ. So when we use our gifts in those manners, then it just makes the body of Christ better. Think about when you can use your both hands and arms to do something, doesn't that make it easier? If you lift up something heavier, isn't it nice to use both hands? Or have you ever gone to pick something up and used your foot to pick it up a little bit and then reach down and grab it? That's two different parts of your body working together for one thing. And so the same is true for all of our gifts, that we we use them collectively to honor him, to give glory to him. And again, as those gifts mentioned prophesizing, serving, teaching, encouragement, generosity, leading, all of those are different things. And encouraging is just, I mean, I think sometimes we think of it as a gift of I have to build something, I have to paint something, I have to do something with it. But being encouraging and being able to say words in a way that somebody just feels really special or it makes a difference for them, or they can do something that they didn't think they could do is very powerful and it's very gift. Not everybody has that. Some people are challenged to be encouraging, but yet they may have some other gift that they're really good, really good at serving. Maybe they're those ones that you know like me in the back where they don't have to talk to anybody. I'll serve all day long, but don't let me have to talk to anybody. And then we have those that are in the front that go, let me just talk all day. That's what I love, and make people feel good. But I don't really want to do all that because I'm not really good at that. And so our gifts aren't something to be embarrassed about. It's our gifts are really something to be responsible for. That we have a responsibility. If we we are given gift gifts, it is our responsibility to find out what those are and what we're good at because those were given to us and to make them better. And and just with those, you know, gifts, and and and maybe it's just maybe a gift is just being around somebody knowing they need somebody to be there. You don't have any words, you can just be present. You're really good at just being present, which is sometimes all somebody needs is to sit there right next to you. So we're given a light, and then we're not given that light to hide. You know, Jesus said, You might become the light of the world someday. He said, You are the light of the world. Not someday. He said, You are the light of the world. In other words, you are currently that. Have you ever turned on a light in your house and it said, I am so sorry for being so bright today? Probably never, ever, ever, ever. But yet we do that all the time. We come in and go, Oh, we have a dimmer switch. Oh, let me let me turn it down to match this room. That's us shrinking

Dimmer Switch Living In Real Life

SPEAKER_00 14:15

the room. Let me, oh, I wasn't feeling this, but let me crank it up. But we have, I think we always have a dimmer switch. When really we should have a light switch. And and if and if we're to to shine, you are the light of the world. That's a big responsibility. How do you want to be that light? What do you want to look like? And when we constantly shrink ourselves, constantly doing that. Sometimes the encouragement encouragement someone needs is not spoken, so it stays unspoken. The idea to help someone stays hidden, it's not there. When I had idea for Aaron's angels a number of years ago, I've been thinking about for a long time. If that idea stays in me, it never helps anybody. It doesn't get to, that light never gets to shine. And sometimes I think we're given those things as a thought, an idea, a vision, because we are supposed to use our talents and gifts to do something with that. And I think sometimes we go, uh-huh, not me. You meant that for somebody else. I was sitting next to the person that was supposed to get that. Somehow it got on me. But sometimes that idea that we hold in was supposed to help someone, but it stays hidden. Sometimes there's leadership that never steps forward and takes lead when they need to. And that's those simple things that shrinking looks like. That we think that's I'm not shrinking, but sometimes when we go, I should make that phone call. And you don't because that's just weird. That's shrinking. If I should just go deliver a meal just because, that's just what I'm feeling. And I don't because I don't really know them, but that's just that's just odd. That's shrinking. Sometimes when we don't share testimony, when we're when we're led to, maybe it was sometimes when we go, we hear this little voice said, You probably need to to ask them if they need a prayer. I had a client the other day, she was in rehab, not alcohol rehab, in physical rehab. And she said, There's a gentleman there next to her, and he was just having a challenging time. And she said, Would you mind if I just prayed for you? And so she did. And she said, and I used to not do that. One of her words over the last couple years has been bold. And so she said, I've really worked on that. And and I think we all have many times when it might, that might come about. And we go, that's just odd, because there's like a bunch of people around, and what if I get my words messed up and they're gonna think I'm just a weirdo, and we might say they're gonna just think I'm a Jesus freak, and that's just and so we go, never mind. That is shrinking when we are called to be the light of the world, and that is a light. So again, we have to stop letting the room define us, the space define us, that we're gonna shrink. You know, if we are to glorify Him, that is our light, and we should let it shine. Because how can we go wrong doing that? It might have external consequences, but different things. I mean, you look at the Bible and see what happened when they preached and different things like that, and were disciples after Jesus died, and all those things, but for the glory of God, we can't go wrong. There's no way to go wrong to let our light

Take Up Space With Confidence

SPEAKER_00 17:50

shine. So when the approval of people becomes our goal, we shrink to survive. But when we're in obedience to God becomes our goal, we walk into a room with confidence, not arrogance, confidence. And so, really, the the challenge is for each of us, I think, is to take up the space that God gave us. God gave us all a space, and it is up to us to take up that space with our light. That means if if God gave you something to say, say it. Use our gifts, use the gifts he placed inside you, setting healthy boundaries, walking confidently into opportunities, refusing to apologize at for growing. We should never apologize for growing, allowing yourself to be seen. So many times we don't want to be fully seen because what if? And sometimes it's just being seen. So, and sometimes it's just trusting that you belong wherever God placed you, whatever room he placed you in, whatever opportunity he placed you in, trusting that that is where God placed you. So the challenge is take up space, don't shrink. Opposite of honey, I shrunk the kids. And when they come back, they you know they take up a lot of space because he uh spoiler alert, he he eventually resizes them. So good news, they're not small forever. But take up the space that God gave you as the challenge. Um, with your talents, gifts, and allowing that light to shine and never apologize for turning on the light bright, because your light in your house never says sorry for being so bright today. And I encourage you to do the same.

Prayer And Closing

SPEAKER_00 19:37

So I'll finish us up in prayer and then we can go on with our fantastic Friday. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for bringing us all together. Lord, just pray that we all have those gifts and talents inside of us that you have given us. Lord, I just pray that each one of us unwrap those gifts and talents and share those in a manner that is glorifying to you for words that that we need to say, for actions we need to take, for thoughts we need to have, for prayers we need to say. Lord, I just I just pray for those. I pray over each one here today that they would just pursue you and pursue those talents and gifts to shine their light to the world. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. And thank you to each of you for joining us on this week's Soul Fit. Look forward to seeing you right here next time on SoulFit.