I am sure we have all been in situations where we feel that we can not be who we are. We believe and live out statements like :

I am not safe being me

I have to be careful with showing who I am or people will be upset

I am afraid to show myself because other will not accept me

These statement are thinking patterns that the world, experiences, circumstances and people have imprinted on us. If these thoughts are in play we will sing this tune in the way we live our lives.

Also I am sure as Christians we can at times rebel at the thought that we are to be conformed to ONE WAY… namely Jesus way. People want to give up the bible and all the so called rules and regulations and instead just keep Jesus. But without the bible …who Jesus is and what He came to do just becomes ..up to us! scary thought…

We all seek out a sense of self ….I think often apart from Christ. Like a “what do I bring to the table”  and then add a little Jesus. But that just doesn’t work! In doing so, we create a self centered, selfish, this is me attitude toward others who may speak up to call us out on things going on in our lives that don’t line up with the Bible.

However I have also seen where people judge others according to this being conformed to Christ -there is ONE FORM and it can create a in people the need to box people into a mold. Yet we are all so very different.

Perhaps the way God uniquely created and gifted you is like an instrument meant for His pleasure to proclaim His goodness of creation. That when we seek a self apart from Christ we blow out of tune notes and cacophony is the result. We create a sense of self by creating a comparison sense of difference from others.

Christ in YOU is the hope of glory!

We all want to be glorious…but that glory doesn’t shine rightly if its all YOU and what YOU can do and WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE. Yes you are God’s creation but like a lamp, that lamp doesn’t shine right without the light bulb. That glory shines rightly when Christ IN you, His light shining through the cracked pot that you are is shown.

We walk around like we are all good. We are not good …without Him we are rotten to the core. We will self serve all the days of our lives. It is only by His mercy and grace that our wretchedness is worked out into something wonderful.

We don’t have to live those statements above…living in Fear. We can wholly lean on Jesus name and sacrifice. We need nothing but Him.

We must tether ourselves to the ONE who made us for His glory and actually BELIEVE that He is right here. Never leaving, Never forsaking no matter what it looks like.

And change those statements!

I AM SAFE IN HIM

I AM WHO HE MADE ME TO BE –  NO MATTER WHAT PEOPLE THINK

I AM FULLY ACCEPTED, LOVED AND HIS BELOVED

Now we can go, do, love, speak truth, say what is in our hearts without all the caution and worry….peace…AMEN

Starla