In conversations over the past few months I have found myself repeating a particular phrase of encouragement. And today I’m guessing that someone else needs to hear it.

Two years ago a physical and positional platform that I had for 12 years of my life was put behind me. I immediately recognized my need for time to heal and grow and even do some reacquainting with myself. In that time God quickly reminded me of certain truths and of how empowered I had always been. And right now I want to repeat those exact words that God spoke to me. Our situations and frustrations might be vastly different, but to anyone who is struggling on their current platform or with the lack of one, to anyone who longs to lead or make a difference or influence others, to anyone who wants to speak or perform or creatively express themselves in any capacity, to anyone who wants to make each day count for eternity, impact humanity, and leave a legacy:

YOUR PLATFORM IS WHEREVER YOU STAND.

One more time for those of you in the back: Your platform is wherever you stand! Your gifts, talents, skills, passions and abilities don’t leave the moment you step off of a physical platform and they certainly don’t magically appear when you are given a platform. You do not need anyone or any institution to give you a platform. And you certainly do not need their permission. While professional and organizational management, boundaries, rules and guidelines can be very good and constructive, they can also be restrictive. For example, when I worked in a church the platform and the topics were given to me, there were restrictions and parameters to keep everything status quo. And for some reason I allowed those parameters to sneak in and shape my personal expression and that bred insurmountable frustration. My creative spirit began to feel like it was a crash test dummy – repeatedly set up and intentionally ran into a wall over and over. At the same time I felt that somehow God wanted to work and speak DIRECTLY to and through me, but I struggled to believe it. And yes, that opportunity always existed, but I wasn’t owning it or using it wisely. I had allowed the physical church walls to become spiritual and mental barriers. It’s weird how fear can disguise itself. Fear can masquerade as problems that other people create and strategically place blame. Fear can bend the truth and convince us that we are unworthy of good and better things. But the TRUTH remained that the freedom God offers has always been the key to my greatest privileges and opportunities. And that freedom means that my platform is wherever I stand. 

Doesn’t that mean the pressure is greater? Yes, but so is the freedom.

God had not isolated me. Rather He humbled and then elevated me to be a messenger of HOPE not only outside of those physical walls, but also outside of the spiritual and mental walls that I had built. He reminded me of who I have always been as His child. I have never felt more empowered. 

So at this very moment my platform is this computer or phone screen. It’s wherever I am. And your platform is wherever you are. No one else can stand in that same place – it’s your platform. Own it, friends. With all of your soul, own it. 

Now repeat after me: MY PLATFORM IS WHEREVER I STAND.

Go and use it wisely.

P.S. Someone who does not know me well wrongly assumed that I stopped doing something because I no longer had a specific platform. I smiled and then looked them in the eyes as I boldly spoke my truth, “God has given me a platform wherever I stand.” Yeah friends, OWN IT.