No Excuses
Posted by Brooke | Filed under think.
I sat down prepared to write a commentary about “being who you are” in any situation, but I’ve found out that it’s not that easy. Last Tuesday, Chris G. started our “Who?” series discussion talking about who we were created to be. The truth is, you really can’t live in this world right now and “be who you are” without first knowing who you were created to be. In all the time I’ve spent this morning searching for scripture references about being yourself, I haven’t found a single one that says “be yourself as you are right now”. They sound more like this:
Phillipians 2:15…that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and
crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.Ephesians 2:10…For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.Acts 2:42…They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and to prayer2 Corinthians 1:12…Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.
Every verse I found dealing with this topic spoke of who we are created to be in Christ, or who we are becoming with Christ’s help. This is a hard pill to swallow. This means that in every situation we are to speak and act “as children of God”, “created in Christ Jesus”, and “relying on God’s grace”. This leaves us no excuses to lean on when we act out in anger, fear, apathy, etc. We can’t honestly say, “It’s just who I am” because if you are following Jesus Christ, those actions are not who we are created to be.
Tough stuff.
I know more times than not in my own life I’ve done things in this wrong mindset. I don’t think ‘I’m created to do so much more than this’. I usually think something more closely resembling ‘It’s just who I am – get over it’. I have to really work to think before I speak/act. It’s hard to remember to say to myself, “Is this who God has created me to be” or “Is this what I am created to do”. If I really stopped and asked myself that question each time, I can guarantee that half the things I’ve said before would never leave my lips again. A lot of the things I’ve done would have never happened.
When Jesus came, he didn’t come to make things easier on us. This Christian life was not created to be a smooth journey. When the Old Testament said “Do not commit adultery” (Ex. 20:14), Jesus comes along and says “if you even lust after someone in your heart, you’ve committed adultery” (Matt. 5:28). The stakes have just been raised. An abundant life (John 10:10) is going to cost us something.
We were not created to be lazy, apathetic, indifferent, boring, or hateful. We were created to be full of life, passion, zeal, creativity, and love. It’s a journey to get there. Everyday we wake up we have a choice to make. Do we choose to take up the cross of Christ and make steps toward becoming the men and women God created us to be, or do we choose to get stuck in the rut of our humdrum everyday lives and stay who we are right now? God loves us either way, but because I love Him my heart longs to do what pleases Him the most.
As for me? I think I’ll make the effort to be more intentional about my actions more often. I want to grow in who Christ is, and in who I am in Christ.