I did a silly and somewhat foolish thing today. I asked people that know me well to describe me with only one word. Yeah, some of them were entertaining and some of them scared me to my core. Here are some of the responses I received: brash, crazy(in a good way), consistent, deep, tormented, brother, friend, vivacious(had to look that one up), integrity, committed, protective, grouchy, messy, sasquatch, huge, vocal, angry, forgetful, tall, strong, awesome, servant, searching, desiring, faithful, stubborn, complicated, and narcissistic.
I had some friends question my purpose for asking such a loaded question but I assured them as I assure you, my reader, that I only wanted their honest and blunt opinion of me. And blunt they were. These words have caused me to look at myself from another perspective and I believe to truly grow we have to look at ourselves through another set of lenses other than our own.
There was one word that I must say is missing from this list. And it troubles me that it was missing from their description of me. That word was "Christian." Some of these traits that my friends and family used to describe me are admirable and great things to possess, but if I am not a "Christian" in their eyes or the eyes of the people within my realm of influence then what am I?
What am I? (That is a loaded question and depending on who is around me when I am asked a funny answer generally comes quickly after it is asked.)
Am I truly the man that I like to think that I am? Or am I really what people think that I am? Am I a narcissistic, complicated, brash, tormented, huge, vocal, angry sasquatch? Am I a grouchy, messy, angry, tall, stubborn man? Or am I a consistent, faithful, searching, committed, strong, deep friend and brother? Most important of all, Am I God's man or am I my own man?
To tell the truth, I am all these things that were listed above. I am the man that I am because God chose to make me this way. The key is am I living in my own power or am I living in the power of the Holy Spirit? If I live in my own power then I can be the worst of the worst sinners that there ever was. I can be a depraved, selfish, and shameless man. I am a man that is addicted to pornography, my own selfish desires, and one that will do what my flesh wants in a hot minute. Paul said in Romans 5:19, "For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous." Through Christ's sacrifice we are made righteous. And through His power in my life I am a different person.
When I am living in the power of the Holy Spirit I am another man all together. I am able to be the consistent, faithful, searching, committed, strong, deep friend and brother that I am supposed to be. There is nothing I can do through my own power to be the man that I am called to be. There is nothing in my power that I can do that will rid me of the negative aspects of my personality. Paul also said in 2nd Corinthians 12:9, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that all the bad parts of my personality can be used to the glory of God. Paul also said in 1st Timothy 1:15-16, "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life." And what Paul describes above is the grace that I have been talking about. If we choose to live in the grace and power of the Holy Spirit He will use us for great things. And likewise if we choose to live in the flesh we are bound to a life time of never feeling complete or whole and always searching for the missing piece of our souls. We will seek to fill the hole in our life with the approval of others and will react negatively to the same.
I challenge you to ask those closest to you which words describe who they view you as and then take stock as I have to what it really means. Use the lens of the Holy Spirit to see the true meaning of who and what you are.
Don't continue to be misunderstood. are you God's man or your own? Now answer that!
I had some friends question my purpose for asking such a loaded question but I assured them as I assure you, my reader, that I only wanted their honest and blunt opinion of me. And blunt they were. These words have caused me to look at myself from another perspective and I believe to truly grow we have to look at ourselves through another set of lenses other than our own.
There was one word that I must say is missing from this list. And it troubles me that it was missing from their description of me. That word was "Christian." Some of these traits that my friends and family used to describe me are admirable and great things to possess, but if I am not a "Christian" in their eyes or the eyes of the people within my realm of influence then what am I?
What am I? (That is a loaded question and depending on who is around me when I am asked a funny answer generally comes quickly after it is asked.)
Am I truly the man that I like to think that I am? Or am I really what people think that I am? Am I a narcissistic, complicated, brash, tormented, huge, vocal, angry sasquatch? Am I a grouchy, messy, angry, tall, stubborn man? Or am I a consistent, faithful, searching, committed, strong, deep friend and brother? Most important of all, Am I God's man or am I my own man?
To tell the truth, I am all these things that were listed above. I am the man that I am because God chose to make me this way. The key is am I living in my own power or am I living in the power of the Holy Spirit? If I live in my own power then I can be the worst of the worst sinners that there ever was. I can be a depraved, selfish, and shameless man. I am a man that is addicted to pornography, my own selfish desires, and one that will do what my flesh wants in a hot minute. Paul said in Romans 5:19, "For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous." Through Christ's sacrifice we are made righteous. And through His power in my life I am a different person.
When I am living in the power of the Holy Spirit I am another man all together. I am able to be the consistent, faithful, searching, committed, strong, deep friend and brother that I am supposed to be. There is nothing I can do through my own power to be the man that I am called to be. There is nothing in my power that I can do that will rid me of the negative aspects of my personality. Paul also said in 2nd Corinthians 12:9, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that all the bad parts of my personality can be used to the glory of God. Paul also said in 1st Timothy 1:15-16, "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life." And what Paul describes above is the grace that I have been talking about. If we choose to live in the grace and power of the Holy Spirit He will use us for great things. And likewise if we choose to live in the flesh we are bound to a life time of never feeling complete or whole and always searching for the missing piece of our souls. We will seek to fill the hole in our life with the approval of others and will react negatively to the same.
I challenge you to ask those closest to you which words describe who they view you as and then take stock as I have to what it really means. Use the lens of the Holy Spirit to see the true meaning of who and what you are.
Don't continue to be misunderstood. are you God's man or your own? Now answer that!
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