Of all God's creatures, the only one that concerns itself with the question of Who is us humans. We need to know Who we are, not simply What. Wondering about the "who" is integral to being a human.
On the other hand, we seem to be the only creatures who are confused as to what and who we are. In fact, we spend great amount of energy trying to be who we are not.
This seems to be true whether we are in a state of un-faith or faith, given the singular message we have heard from both the institutional church and our secular culture. Let's face it, the message we most deeply believe about our self is, you are not who you should be.
Selah.
I stand against any institution or message that is built upon the doctrine that 'you are not as you should be'.
The gospel is at its core a message of hope that we can be who we were created to be in the first place. There is a glory to be had simply for being a human. The very one that you are already.
And that's the story of our lives.
We have a friend that is struggling under many burdens. She has bounced in and out of a homosexual relationship, in and out of addictions, and in and out of financial difficulties. Her roller-coaster existance has also caused (I believe) many physical ailments as well. She doesn't WANT any of this in her life but has not yet (she's been a Christian for 4 years) been released from these afflictions. Many in our church have alienated her because they feel they were only enabling her by giving her someone to cry out to or to lean on. My heart says this, before the blind man sees, someone has to help him find food, before the crippled walks, they are carried and before the sick are healed someone has to help them. If nothing else she has taught us how to go beyond our comfort zone to love her. I don't know if she'll ever find deliverance during her time on this earth. God is master of the outcome. We offer encouragement but to tell you the truth I think some people are meant to struggle their whole lives just to draw others out of their comfort zone. I haven't always been open-minded. In fact, it is something I have struggled with, but I am picking up what you are putting down in your post Jon. Thanks! I hope it gets read alot.
ReplyDeleteMan, it's humbling to have someone reading this. Knowing that you're out there makes me read my own stuff a little differently.
ReplyDeleteWhen I say "be who we really are," I believe we must first understand who we are not. Most of us have a great deal of false-ness to deal with. The more clearly we see who we are not, the easier it will be for Christ to show us who we are.
In the case of your friend, life has fed her a bunch of crap about herself, and she has believed it, deeply. But as a follower of God, recreated in the image of the Son, I cannot accept that her fundamental identity is now what everyone 'sees.' Even less is it like what she sees in herself.
Isn't it true that we are hardest on ourselves? Don't others see the best is us, before we see or believe it ourselves?
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed people have to keep telling the blind what we see in them. Speak truth into her life. Deeply, repeatedly, compassionately. Stand against the lies that you hear others speak into her life. Defend her from falseness.
Trust me in this -- she does not believe there is any good inside her. She believes she is walking proof of Jeremiah 17:9. Under the terms of Deut. 28, I'd have to agree.
But thank God we are the recipients of the new covenant that Jesus' blood was the guarantee of ("this cup is the new covenant written in my blood..."). Jeremiah 31 and the entire book of Hebrews should be required reading for all of the one-eyed people.
There is a new heart, a good heart, a beautiful heart inside your friend, and you may be the only one on the planet who can see it.
We almost lost her last fall. She overdosed and was in critical condition overnight. We brought her home with us through the holidays. She is now trying to live on her own again. My wife and I have been with her, tears flowing, through all the junk in her past and you are right, she feels she doesn't deserve, isn't worthy of being healed. We go right back to the fact that simply because she was created human means she is special in God's Kingdom. As a woman she is the crown of God's creation! She has led my wife and I to a great deal of personal growth and I thank God for her, especially in her neediness. She is a very talented songwriter. I know God has such big plans for her life and I'm sure all she needs is more people to tell her to float when the swimming gets to much for her. Don't worry about your blogs, just be you and I'll be me and God in the person of the Father, the person of his son Jesus Christ, and the person of our Helper the Holy Spirit will complete the 'circle of sufficiency'. Your writing reflects authenticity and since the harvest is great and the workers are few, that is all I have time for. Hmm, that might seem judgemental to some but I have to limit my reading somewhere right?
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