Blog Post for “Notes by Alex”
By Alex Atkinson

---

A Stirring I Cannot Shake: The Weight of a Dangerous Anointing

Lately, I have sensed a stirring in my heart — one I haven’t felt in a long time. It’s persistent. Gentle, yet weighty. I can’t shake it, and truthfully, I don’t want to. This stirring is not born from emotion or circumstance; it’s deeper. It’s a holy unrest. A spiritual nudge from the One who sees all, knows all, and calls us forward.

Our Creator is on the move.

I found myself recently listening to the voice of a general of the faith — Kathryn Kuhlman. Her words didn’t just inspire me; they broke me. Her voice, her heart, her deep reverence for the Holy Spirit struck a place in me that I didn’t realize had grown quiet.

And then it hit me: everything she was declaring — about the cost, the calling, and the surrender — felt like it was aimed right at my heart. That’s when I heard this phrase, echoing in my spirit:

“You are dangerously anointed by God.”

At first, it sounded bold, maybe even dramatic. But the more I sat with it, the more I realized how weighty and true that phrase is for anyone chosen, called, and set apart by God.

---

What Does It Mean to Be Dangerously Anointed?

It’s not about platform, power, or prestige. Being dangerously anointed means your life has become a threat to the enemy’s plans. It means you carry something holy — not for your glory, but for God’s. And that comes with a cost.

Here’s what I’ve come to understand:

1. Chosen and Set Apart

The anointing begins with a divine choosing. You didn’t ask for it — it finds you. You’re pulled into something greater than yourself, something eternal.

2. Empowered by the Spirit

The Holy Spirit empowers the anointed to fulfill their assignment. Not through talent or charisma, but through surrender and obedience.

3. Spiritual Warfare

That anointing draws fire. It attracts spiritual resistance. The enemy sees the threat and tries to neutralize it — through discouragement, distraction, and destruction.

4. Cost and Sacrifice

This journey is not glamorous. It’s lonely at times. You may be misunderstood, rejected, even attacked. But every step costs something — pride, comfort, reputation — and it’s all laid down for the sake of the call.

5. Atmosphere Shifter

Dangerously anointed people carry the presence of God in such a way that it shifts rooms, breaks chains, and awakens hearts. They carry light into darkness.

---

Signs You Might Be Dangerously Anointed

• Unexplainable Attacks – Trouble seems to find you, even when you aren’t looking for it.
• Spiritual Battles – You wrestle with fear, doubt, and pressure.
• Opposition from Others – Even those close to you may not understand the weight you carry.
• Deep Compassion – You feel burdened for others, interceding for them with intensity.
• Holy Dissatisfaction – You crave more of God and less of this world.
• Breaking and Refining – God brings you to the end of yourself so He can fill you fully.

---

This Anointing Is Not a Badge of Honor

Let’s be clear: this is not about elevating oneself. The anointing is a responsibility, not a reward. It demands humility, dependence, and discernment.

Sometimes the most anointed people are the quietest ones — praying behind the scenes, obeying God in obscurity, carrying burdens only He sees.

---

My Takeaway in This Stirring Season

I don’t fully understand everything God is doing. But I sense the shift. I feel the breaking and the reordering. The Spirit is moving again in my life in a way I can’t deny. And I believe He’s doing it in others too — maybe in you.

If you feel the pressure, the hunger, the burden — don’t run from it. Let it drive you to the One who is calling. Let it humble you. Let it refine you.

This stirring is holy.

And our Creator is not finished with you yet.

---

Pull Quotes for Sharing

• “The stirring in your spirit may be the signal that God is calling you deeper.”
• “Being dangerously anointed means your life is a threat to darkness — not a trophy for men.”
• “God doesn’t anoint the comfortable. He anoints the surrendered.”
• “There’s a cost to the anointing — but the presence of God is worth it all.”

From Faults to Faith: My Journey to Understanding Grace in Leadership

---

Hey everyone, and welcome back to Notes by Alex!

For as long as I can remember, leadership has been a topic that utterly fascinates me. I’ve spent years observing, reflecting, and trying to understand what truly makes a good leader, and just as importantly, what contributes to a bad one. It’s a journey of discernment that has, over time, led me to a deeper understanding, particularly when viewed through a Christian lens.

The Reality of Leadership, Christian or Not

One of the most profound realizations I’ve had is this: Christians are not exempt from faults and failures. This might sound obvious, but sometimes we, myself included, can fall into the trap of expecting perfection from those in Christian leadership roles. The truth is, we’re all human. We all make mistakes, we all stumble, and yes, even leaders in the Christian world have their shortcomings.

It’s precisely in these moments of human frailty that the incredible power of grace truly comes into focus. We hear about grace, we talk about grace, but experiencing it – both as the one who extends it and the one who desperately needs it – is an entirely different matter.

My Own Journey with Failure and Grace

I can personally attest to this. There have been times in my own life, in various capacities of leadership, where I have failed. And let me tell you, those moments are humbling. They’re raw. But they’re also incredibly formative. It was through one such period of personal failure that the lyrics of the hymn “Amazing Grace” stopped being just words and became a profound, personal reality. “I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.” It was in that brokenness that I truly began to grasp the boundless love and forgiveness that grace offers.

Learning and Growing from Our Flaws

This brings me to a crucial point about leadership: when a leader fails and has faults, it’s not necessarily the end. In fact, it’s often a profound opportunity to learn and to grow.

Think about it:

• Humility: Failure often breeds humility, which is an essential characteristic of a good leader. It reminds us that we are not infallible and that we need God’s guidance and the support of others.
• Empathy: Having experienced failure or shortcomings can cultivate a deeper empathy for those we lead who are struggling. It helps us to approach situations with compassion rather than judgment.
• Resilience: Overcoming setbacks builds resilience. A leader who has navigated difficult personal waters is often better equipped to lead others through challenges.
• Authenticity: When a leader is transparent about their struggles and how they’ve learned from them, it builds trust and allows others to see them as a real, relatable person, not just a figurehead.

Of course, there’s a distinction to be made between a leader who makes a mistake and genuinely learns from it, and one who repeatedly acts out of character or demonstrates a consistent pattern of harmful behavior without accountability. But for those who are truly committed to growth, failure can be a powerful teacher.

What are your thoughts on leadership, both good and bad, particularly from a perspective that embraces human imperfection and the transformative power of grace? I’d love to hear your insights in the comments below!