It seems as though this world deals in the concrete, the tangible, the cold hard facts, while I prefer the abstract, the spiritual, the mysterious, the ineffable, the ethereal! I am just now understanding how this conflict has affected my perception of who I am. See how The Message paraphrases Romans 12:2-6:
Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
3I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
4-6In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.
I love what this passage says about our identity. I love what it says about our value and our uniqueness. As we become closer to God, we understand ourselves better. We begin to understand who God created us to be, and what He wants us to do with our lives!
I believe that in some ways, I have fallen into the trap of conforming to the pattern of the world. I often feel as if I have to do things in a certain way in a certain timing and for a certain reason, because that is what I have seen and heard here in the world of the concrete. Some people think that being a Christian is stifling and restricting, but what they don't understand is that the oppression that they feel in regards to Christianity is only that of world-conforming religion! In my opinion, religion is an institution of a concrete world. It is about forming logical patterns of how we should live and how we should do certain things. To me, that is not the freedom that Christ offers us! That is not the abundant life...it is a life that is conformed.
I propose that as followers of Christ that we break free of world-conforming religion, and instead find our freedom and true identity in Christ. I propose that we fix our attention on Him, and let Him give us visions and dreams to fuel us. Let Him show us who He uniquely created us to be.
For a while, I had lost sight of my true identity, but now, I am learning more and more everyday to live in His freedom and let Him give me Kingdom vision for a life of using the gifts and talents that He has given me. Now, I am letting Him bring out the best in me. I no longer what to try to be someone I am not, because I am beginningg to love the unique person that God has made me to be. I am looking forward to all the ways He is going to use me to bring about His perfect plan!
I want to share with you some of the dreams that I feel that God has given me:
- I dream of writing and publishing a book
- I dream of becoming an effective and passionate worship leader
- I dream of writing songs that touch souls
- I dream of leaving a legacy of love
- I dream of traveling abroad doing mission work
- I dream of making a difference in the life of a child
- I dream of living simply
- I dream of loving creatively
I have decided to use my God-given creativity more. I want to live life more fully in my true identity...with hope and joy that comes from knowing who God created me to be. Are you a creative person who has been stifled by this fast-paced concrete world? If so, take a look at the list of suggestions below to help revive that creative spirit that you have been given. There are some excellent suggestions, and I intend to put some of them to practice myself. Perhaps I will share the results with you in the future!
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Great post!
ReplyDeleteI am very much like you in this sense, I have always known my dreams and ideas and personality etc. did not fit in with this world and yet my whole life I have tried to make it fit... have you ever seen a toddler siitng with the wooden shapes box puzzle and they try desperately to fit the square block into the star shape etc.? thats me my whole life too! The freedom to e who God created us to be PLUS not conforming to the man made worldly systems-without crossing the line into rebellion is a mad balance isnt it!? I always questions - have I gone too far in my attempt to not be conformed? or have I changed myself to much away from true identity and biblical calling in my attempt to 'fit in' here! it'll be amazing if we crack it hahah
I love this list, i nicked it. its something i have been looking at myself... you see number 16? thats a huge thing for me, if I think I might fail i won't attempt it. my cousin recently bought me a book that i am awaiting on and its a journal that asks you to wreck it! you follow certain daily instructions for creating with all sorts of methods and materials and basically the idea of it is effectively to make art out of the 'outside the lines' colouring if you get me... I was a little worried about the possible ethos behind it, but so far I think it's just about art! When I have checked that out in personal one on one with it I will let you know... it might be a freeing experience for you too to try it. i need to do something similar either way as it forces you to not care about the perfection but to be free in your expression... check out the web page - I'm probably doing it no justice here
http://www.wreckthisjournal.com/