DON'T BE A PARROT IN LIFE—BE AN EAGLE

I love this quote:

“Don’t be a parrot in life, be an eagle. A parrot talks way too much and can’t fly high, but an eagle is silent and has the willpower to touch the sky.”

These two birds couldn't be more different, and I think there is a lesson for us in that.

Parrots can be funny and entertaining birds, especially depending on what their owners have taught them to say. They can repeat words, sounds, and even phrases they've heard from the people around them.

And isn't that sometimes what we do?

We repeat what we hear.

We repeat other people's opinions.
We repeat gossip.
We repeat negativity.
We repeat what everyone else is saying without ever taking the time to decide what we actually believe for ourselves.

We become parrots.

And sometimes, the more we talk, the less we actually accomplish.

BE LIKE THE EAGLE

Eagles have always fascinated me.

If you've ever had the opportunity to see one up close, you know just how much they capture your attention. In my opinion, they're the kings of the bird world.

Everything about an eagle is impressive—their strength, their beauty, their focus, and especially their ability to soar.

But one of the things I find most impressive about eagles is how quiet they can be.

They don't have to make a lot of noise to get noticed.

They don't have to announce what they're doing.

They don't have to prove themselves to anyone.

They simply soar.

And when they're preparing to go after their prey, they can be incredibly silent and focused. They aren't distracted by everything happening around them. They know what they're after, and they move with purpose.

There is something powerful about that.

Sometimes we need to stop talking so much and start listening more.

Sometimes we need to stop explaining ourselves to everyone and simply let our lives speak for us.

Sometimes we need to stop worrying about what everyone else is doing and focus on where God is leading us.

DON'T BE A PARROT

Being a parrot means constantly repeating what everyone else says.

It means allowing the opinions of others to determine how you think, how you live, and sometimes even how you see yourself.

But God didn't call us to simply blend into the crowd and repeat what everyone else is saying.

He calls us to be transformed.

Romans 12:2 tells us:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

In other words, don't simply repeat the world around you.

Think differently.

Live differently.

Walk differently.

Let God renew your mind so that your life reflects His truth, not simply the noise around you.

EAGLES RISE ABOVE

One of the things I love most about watching an eagle is seeing it rise above everything below.

There is something beautiful about seeing an eagle soaring high in the sky, seemingly touching the clouds.

And that reminds me of something spiritually important:

Sometimes you have to rise above.

Rise above the gossip.

Rise above the drama.

Rise above the negativity.

Rise above the opinions of people who don't understand what God is doing in your life.

Rise above the need to constantly defend yourself.

Rise above the things that are trying to pull you down.

Not because you're better than anyone else, but because God has called you to a higher way of living.

GOD WILL GIVE YOU WINGS TO SOAR

One of my favorite Scriptures is Isaiah 40:31:

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

I love that God chose the eagle as the picture.

He didn't say we would crawl.

He didn't say we would barely survive.

He said we would soar.

That doesn't mean we will never face storms.

Eagles actually give us a beautiful picture of what it means to rise above them. Rather than being controlled by everything happening around them, they can use the conditions around them to rise higher.

And isn't that what God can do in our lives?

The very things that were meant to knock us down can become opportunities for God to strengthen us.

The storms may come.

The winds may blow.

The circumstances may be difficult.

But with God, we don't have to remain trapped at the level of the storm.

We can rise above it.

QUIET DOESN'T MEAN WEAK

Sometimes people mistake quietness for weakness.

But an eagle doesn't have to be loud to be powerful.

And neither do we.

You don't have to respond to every comment.

You don't have to participate in every argument.

You don't have to explain yourself to everyone.

You don't have to prove your worth.

You don't have to repeat everything you hear.

Sometimes the strongest thing you can do is remain quiet, keep your focus, and continue moving in the direction God has called you.

Let other people make the noise.

You keep soaring.

DON'T BE A PARROT—BE AN EAGLE

Life is full of noise.

Everyone has an opinion.

Everyone has something to say.

Everyone seems to know what everyone else should be doing.

But we don't have to repeat all of it.

We don't have to allow the noise of the world to become the voice inside our heads.

Instead, let's be people who know who we are, know Whose we are, and know where we're going.

Let's listen more.

Let's speak with purpose.

Let's stop repeating what everyone else says and start living according to what God says.

Let's rise above the things that are trying to keep us down.

And when the storms come, let's remember Isaiah 40:31.

We may get weary, but God can renew our strength.

We may feel weak, but God can give us strength.

We may feel like we're falling, but God can teach us to soar.

So don't be a parrot in life.

Don't spend your life repeating the noise around you.

Be an eagle.

Be quiet when silence is needed.

Be strong when life gets hard.

Stay focused on where God is leading you.

And when the opportunity comes—

spread your wings, rise above, and soar.