Let Your Freak Flag Fly

“You shall not follow a crowd to do evil;…” — Exodus 23:2

I’m simple guy that can be inspired by the simplest of things. Sitting in a restaurant, the waitress put a drink coaster in front of me with this quote on it: “Remember, you are unique, just like everyone else!” I laughed and then mentally dove headfirst down the following rabbit hole.

You are unique just like everyone else. Do you realize you are the only you? There has never been another you before you. There will never be another you after you. You are the only you that will ever exist on this earth! The greatest advantage you have to impact this world is in the fact that you are YOU! A truly unique individual.

What a tragedy most of us spend our entire lives trying to be like other people. To follow the crowd. To fit in. To suppress the one thing we were created to share…our uniqueness.

Let’s say you admired me and (God forbid) wanted to be just like me. You read what I read. Learn to speak and talk like me. Learn to do things the way I do them. You become a perfect mimic of me. Do you know what is the best you could hope for? It is to be a second-rate me! Because I’m the only one that can be me.

However, the greatest tragedy of that scenario is the entire world would miss out on YOU… a unique expression of humanity it will never again see in anyone else. As you will see, that is truly evil.

The term “freak flag” reportedly originated from song lyrics for “If 6 was 9” (1967) by Jimi Hendrix. It has since been popularized by numerous artists, films and cultural references. It is a statement meant to encourage the unsuppressed exhibition of your unique, eccentric, creative, adventurous and unconventional personage. My favorite utilization of the concept is from DC Talk’s [see note below] song “Jesus Freak” (1995) which says, “What will people think when they hear that I’m a Jesus freak? What will people do when they find that it’s true? I don’t really care if they label me a Jesus freak, There ain’t no disguisin’ the truth.”

The Bible is clear, when you become a Christian, you are a participant of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4). We have the Holy Spirit within us. We abide in Christ and He in us. We have the living Lord who desires to live through us. As Hebrews 13:20-21 says, God will… “make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ…”. Jesus said in John 14:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.”

Do you realize what this is saying? You are a unique creation that the world will never again see in anyone else. You have the living Lord who desires to live through you in your uniqueness. In other words, you were created to be a unique expression of Christ in this world that it will never again see in anyone else!

Let your freak flag fly…HIGH! Be who you were created to be in Christ. Don’t follow the crowd. Don’t emulate others. Be the unique expression of Christ you were created to be! Anything else is evil.

I see the challenge before me today. I am challenged to seek the Lord and who He created me to be. I am challenged to trust Him to live through me today. I am challenged to be a unique expression of Him in this world! I am challenged to let my freak flag fly. Because, “I don’t really care if they label me a Jesus freak, there ain’t no disguisin’ the truth.”

—————

NOTE: I honestly struggled over whether or not to utilize the lyrics from DC Talk’s “Jesus Freak” due to the controversy surrounding member(s) of the band recently. I will not comment on the controversy in any way. Honestly, I don’t know enough about any of it to have an opinion. I just know the lyrics of this song spoke to me at a time in my life when people thought I was crazy for raising a family with very little income and ministering in some very dangerous places. I related to and found comfort in the concept of a Jesus freak. And no man’s actions can change how God spoke to me through those lyrics at that time. I included the quote because God included it in my life and spoke to me through it. If a man says, “God is love”, and then succumbs to a life of sin, it does not change that GOD IS LOVE. And no other man’s actions can change the fact that I’m truly weird, eccentric, strange and a Jesus freak!

© 2025 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.

Follow Your _________!

“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” — Matthew 22:37

Fill in the blank: Follow your _________!

For many, the answer would naturally be your heart. We live in a world that encourages us to follow our hearts. Be true to yourself. Trust your gut. Do what you feel you should do.

Let me ask you, how’s that working out for you? It has never worked very well for me. In fact, that logic is what has placed me in some of the worst circumstances of my life.

The heart of a person is their core. It encompasses their emotions, perspectives, thinking patterns and will. It is who we are in and of ourselves. Do you see the problem?

Jeremiah 17:9 tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things. / And desperately wicked; / Who can know it?”

The problem is man’s heart is shaped by the world in which we live. Morals change. Ethics change. What was acceptable fifty years ago is repulsive now. And what was repulsive is now accepted. We, whether we admit it or not, are shaped by the world in which we live to some degree. Some less, some more, but all are skewed.

Jesus never told us to follow our hearts!

In fact, He said the exact opposite. He told the Pharisee lawyer, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38)

Think about it a minute. Don’t gloss over it because it is a familiar verse. What Jesus is saying is all encompassing. He is telling us to bring our hearts into subjection to Him. To put our souls into His hands. And to be renewed in the way we think.

Jesus’ simple call to all is, “Follow Me!”

Ezekiel 36:26-27 prophesied how our hearts and souls move from death (stone) to life, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”

And Paul shows how the inward change is lived out, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be confirmed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you my prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)

In other words:

1. Don’t follow your heart! Follow your LORD!

2. Be born again in your soul and come alive to who He created you to be.

3. And be transformed in the way you live by renewing your mind.

We were never meant to live in and of ourselves. We were not created to follow our heart. Our hearts, souls and minds were created to be directed by our Savior.

Lord, I pray this day that you would show me the areas of my life where I am following my own heart. Give me the strength and courage to trust You to live through me; to lead my heart and soul and mind in those moments. Amen.

© 2025 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.

Listen, Speak, Act...Become!

“Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.”
— Psalm 115:8

How do you see God? The one thing I know for certain, however you imagine God, in the words of J. B. Phillips, “Your God is too small!” No one can ever fully grasp His greatness.

Unfortunately, many of us are more comfortable with a small God. We like Him to be well defined, distant, safe and predictable. We will deny this, but our actions speak volumes.

We don’t expect to hear from God, we would rather listen to the preacher. We don’t expect Him to act in our lives, we are the only hands and feet He has, right? We don’t expect Him to speak through us, we just try to speak nicely on His behalf. We want to manage our walk with Him so it is safe, predictable, explainable, practical and fits our schedule.

Many of us, at least at times, have turned God into an idol. Few themes are dealt with more than idolatry in the Bible. David writes in Psalm 115:4-7, “Their idols are silver and gold. / The work of men’s hands. / They have mouths, but they do not speak; / Eyes they have, but they do not see; / They have ears, but they do not hear; / Noses they have, but do not smell; / They have hands, but they do not handle; / Feet they have, but they do not walk;…”

Tell me, is this not how we often imagine God? That He no longer listens, speaks, acts or walks among us? I fear it is all to often the case. There are countless stories of how we are the only hands God has on earth. How God needs us to complete His work. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Psalm 115:3 begins by stating, “But our God is in heaven; / He does whatever He pleases.” This is echoed throughout the Bible. God does not need us to do anything. As Acts 17:25, when Paul is confronting the Athenians about their idols, says, “Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.”

It is easier… no, it is safer to see God as a distant force separated from us who just provides moral direction. Yet, this creates an image of God created by man and disconnected from truth; an idol.

The result of seeing God as one who doesn’t listen, speak or act in our lives is dire. As David concludes the stanza in Psalm 115:8, “Those who make them are like them; / So is everyone who trusts in them.” When we see God in such a way, we become like that image. Unable to listen, speak or act in the world as we were created to do so.

The fact is, God doesn’t need you! You need Him! He can effectively carry out His work without us, but He chooses us. Not for His benefit, but for ours.

As 2 Corinthians 6:16 says, “And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them / And walk among them. / I will be their God, / And they shall be My people.’”

He is the living Lord, who lives in us and desires to work through us. If He is not working through your life today, then your God is too small. “…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13) God working through you is not for His benefit, but for yours. It is how He teaches you who he created you to be. “And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)

History has shown that people will readily give up freedom in exchange for safety. It is easier and more comfortable. Yet, history also shows that those who exchange freedom for safety eventually lose both. Which is why the Bible says over 30 times “fear not” and over 30 times to be courageous.

So, FEAR NOT! Be strong and courageous! Bring your eyes, ears, mouth, hands and feet (the entirety of your being) before the living Lord and ask Him to live through you today! I think you will find He is much greater than anything you’ve ever imagined; and I think you will find that you were created for greater things in Him as well.

© 2025 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.

The Perfect Circle of God's Will

“For we are His workmanship [masterpiece], created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” — Ephesians 2:10

The artist Giotto is considered by many to be the first genius of the Italian Renaissance. In the early 14th century, Pope Benedict XI was looking for someone to create the frescoes in Saint Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. He sent out a courtier to collect works of art from notable artist to chose who would receive the commission. Artist after artist sent the Pope their best masterpiece, but not Giotto.

When the courtier visited Giotto’s studio in Florence and asked for a work to demonstrate his skill, Giotto did not pull out a masterpiece. Rather, he took a blank canvas, dipped his brush in red paint, pinned his arm to his side and drew a perfect circle on the canvas.

The courtier felt mocked. He asked for another work to show the Pope. However, Giotto replied, “This is enough, and more than enough.”

The Pope realized his skill and mastery from a perfect circle drawn freehand. Giotto showed that greatness is found in the smallest details. Mastering the simple. For a masterpiece is nothing but simple brushstrokes perfectly executed in concert.

I have always disliked this story. Mainly because I have tried for years to draw a perfect circle and can’t! While the simple things create a masterpiece, I would rather create a vast canvas of a complicated work where I can hide my mistakes and lack of skill. But it is the execution of a simple object that shows an artist’s worth; or lack of skill.

The same is true in life. We want to parade our perfectly manicured image around. Share our social posts that confirm we are doing great. Yet, the truth is seen in the simple. The moments when no one is looking. The parts of our life we don’t catch on camera and share. The times we would rather hide. And our circle is not perfect.

God cares about every moment of our lives. He has the hairs on your head numbered. He knows your thoughts and feelings. He knows what you have done, or not done. He knows what is true and what is a lie. And He cares about every single millisecond of your life. He wants every moment to be a part of the perfect circle He has drawn for your life.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” It is not your job to draw a circle of perfection in your life. It is His circle (path) that is perfect. He just desires for you to join Him. And the most important moment to join Him is right now! It is not about the monumental points in our life. It is not about the major decisions. The masterpiece is found in the simple, moment-by-moment decisions we make all day long. And the question is: will we join Him in this moment?

If we are willing to join Him in this moment (and the next, and the next…), the major moments in our life will be no problem. It is in the simple we master the skill of joining our Lord in the work He desires to work through our lives.

Jesus said in Luke 16:10, “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.”

It is the simple that matters. In every moment we have a choice. We can walk in the perfect circle of God’s will, or we can walk it alone. The masterpiece is found in the perfect circle of God’s will. And we will find that we do not struggle nearly as much with the major decisions in life if we choose well in the simple.

Today, the canvas is blank. What will we choose to show as our masterpiece? If we choose God in this moment, I know we will be able to say with Giotto, “This is enough, and more than enough.”

© 2025 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.

I'm A Failure, Again!

“My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart
And my portion forever.”
— Psalm 73:26

Currently, I’m sitting in a hotel room in Midland, TX. I thought tonight was to be a moment of reflection and preparation for a leadership camp that would begin tomorrow. However, I discovered in route (too far away to do anything about it) that it began today. I missed the first day. I failed my team. I was assuming this year was the same as the past 8 years and I was wrong. I failed. And there was nothing I could do to fix it.

Fortunately, I have a great team. They were able to work through the problem (of ME) and make it work. I’m working on adjusting the schedule to get all the main topics in tomorrow and make the camp the best it can be in spite of me.

Failure is a part of human life. One I hate, but often endure. I am physically sick to my stomach and ill from stress on letting others down. I have missed less than a handful of speaking engagements in over 30 years. Yet, I can remember every single one of them, vividly. They haunt me! They terrify me to the point I most often show up hours early to engagements to make sure I don’t miss them.

Failure is statistically one of the top two greatest fears people face in the corporate world. The other being public speaking. I fear both. I fail at both. I fail at most things. Yet, I never quit. I never stop trying.

“But God is the strength of my heart / and my portion forever.”

I often ask audiences to play a game with me; the opposite game. I give them a word and ask them to give me the opposite. I’ll say, “Up”. They say, “Down”. On and on we go until I say, “Success”. They always say, “Failure”. Then, I say, “Wrong”. They say, “Right”. And I say, “No! I’m telling you, you are wrong! The opposite of success is not failure.”

Successful people fail at a much higher rate than unsuccessful people. Just read a biography of any successful person in history. They just don’t quit. They keep trying. They keep pushing on until they get it right.

The opposite of success is when we settle. It is when we come to the point we quit trying. When we say, “This is as good as it is going to get. I’m done.” That is when we have done the opposite of success.

Galatians 6:9 encourages us, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

This is for all the failures out there and I am one of you. I have failed often. I have failed in this moment to show up when requested. I have failed my family. I have failed at my job. I have failed my friends. I have failed in so many ways. Yet, “God is the strength of my heart,” and I desire to share that strength today.

For me in this moment, it means changing a schedule and maximizing my time tomorrow. For my family, it means changing priorities to maximize my time with each of them. For my job, it means changing my focus to capitalize on opportunities. However, if I’m honest, I don’t fear failure. I fear more than anything else succeeding at something that doesn’t matter.

Failure is not the end. It just is what it is until it isn’t. And the only way we can change what it is, is if we never quit. Trust in the Lord for your strength. Cast your cares upon him. Do not fixate on the failures in life, but look towards the future and allow Christ to work through you!

“…but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

Wherever you are today… Whatever the failure you have experienced… No matter how much you feel you are lacking in ability, talent, character, presence or position… GET UP AND RUN!

Reach for the goal! God will be the strength of your heart! Never settle. Never quit! Act today on the upward call of God in Christ Jesus!

© 2025 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.