I'm revisiting a book I went through last summer. Who I Am In Christ by Neil Anderson. It takes you through 36 different identities that you have as a Christian. I've lost sight of who I am as a child of the King, as I realized hard last night laying in bed reading my running magazine sobbing because I can't run. So much of who I see myself as is tied to worldly things that don't really matter in the end.
Day 1: I am accepted in Christ
"Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory." Rom 15:7
"We cannot do anything to qualify for unconditional and voluntary love. We labor under the false assumption that if we live perfectly everybody will accept us, while there was One who lived His life perfectly, and everybody rejected Him." (pg 20)
What a good reminder. Jesus was the only person who lived a perfect life, and he was rejected by just about everyone. As much as I want everybody to accept and like me, if I'm living my life so that people of the world like me and are impressed by me, I'm missing something and need a huge lesson in humility. The life we're called to as Christians is controversial, it's not popular with everyone, and it certainly doesn't line up with worldly views. Just about everyone struggles with rejection and people pleasing from time to time, both within the church family and outside of it. In the spring, Lauren had a video for her action group about the Bema seat, or judgement seat of Christ that was amazing, I wish everyone could see it. That was such a powerful reminder that all I should be concerned with is doing things on earth that are pleasing God and bringing glory to Him, and if I'm doing that amazing things will happen. (ps, every time I think about that video I cry because I am just so excited)
I guess my take away message for the day is that I can't earn Christ's acceptance. He loves me as his child and nothing can take that away. No amount of Sunday's serving at church or number of prayers said can make Him like me more. Living the life that I have been called to won't make me "popular" with the world, but that's ok because I'm popular with God which is a hundred times better. And as Amy would say, I need to stop being a "Judgy McJudgerson" and love on people (all people, not just the ones that I deem appropriate) as a reflection of how much God loves me.
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2 comments:
Good message! Thanks for sharing!
Sounds like a good book! Thanks for sharing what you're learning--and I'm looking forward to Sunday too! Should we do something about freedom or finish off the FOTS series??
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