Be Yourself part 5
Just in the same way that nobody can live Jesus' life except Jesus... nobody can be you except you. You are special. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. God made you just the way you are. And it wasn't an accident. You were created on purpose, for purpose, and by purpose. There are things you can do that no one else can do. There are people you can reach that no one else can reach. So when you try to be someone you're not, not only are you going to end up supremely frustrated, but you're robbing yourself--and everybody else--of who you are. "Religion" may be about fitting into a box. Conforming to whatever your culture thinks "holiness" is. Or trying (and failing) to follow the Law of Moses. But that's not what your heavenly Father wants for you. If He wanted you to be someone else He would have made you someone else. This idea that we're not good enough, but if we work hard enough we can someday get good enough, is a fantasy. It's a lie. It's THE lie that the serpent hissed into Eve's ear. "Get enough knowledge about good and evil and you can stop doing evil, do good, and be accepted. Be like God." Again. That's the LIE. Because you were created in the image of God. That's the key. Not trying to live Jesus' life, but letting Jesus live His own everlasting, eternal, abundant, Resurrection Life in you, and through you, and as you. It's not about following in Jesus' foot steps. It's about letting Him make His own foot steps with your feet. It's not about being someone you're not. It's about embracing who you are. Who you REALLY are. Which is Jesus. God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in YOUR flesh. Love in YOUR body. Filled to overflowing with that love so that it comes out naturally. Because when Jesus walks with your feet... He walks by faith. He walks in love. I know we all have that thing inside of us that makes our heart leap in our chests. Don't deny that thing. Do that thing! BE that thing! But don't do it selfishly. Do it selflessly. Colossians 3:23 says, "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men." I think that's my key verse for the next Rant series. But I guess we can touch on it here. You know it's hard for me to not get ahead of myself. If you're doing something unto men, it's usually because you want something FROM them. "I'll scratch your back IF you'll scratch mine." It's not about giving, it's about getting. This is completely backwards though. Love IS giving. So it can't be about getting. And when you embrace yourself--when you know who you are, who your Daddy is, and what you've got... the ultimate truth of the universe that the Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hands--that's when you understand that you have something to give. Love is giving. Giving everything you have, and everything you are. That's what love is all about. Jesus said the greatest love a man can have is to lay down his life for his friends. Give what you've got. Receive it and release it. And in that way, experience it! Share the gift you've been given. Share the LOVE you've been given. God IS love. That's not just what He does. That's who He is. And as He is, so are we in this world. It's not just what WE do, it's who we are. So just BE who you are. Don't try to be someone you're not. Be yourself!