We don’t drift into becoming the best version of ourselves, so we need to be aware of some common distractions.
The me I pretend to be
A new Lieutenant wanted to impress the first private to enter his office and he pretended to be on the phone with a General so that the private would know he was somebody. “Yes sir, General you can count on me,” he said as he put the phone down. Then he asked the private what he wanted. “I’m just here to connect your phone, sir.”
Pretending to be someone were not is hard work. It is a relief to not pretend to know more than we really do, or act humbler than we really are. We never have to pretend with God and genuine brokenness pleases God more than pretend spirituality. If I’m ever going to become the me, I want to be, I need start being honest about the me I am.
The me I think I should be
Each one of us has a me that we think we should be, which is at odds with the me that God made me to be. I don’t need to be like someone else, or better than them, just be me!
“Spiritual greatness has nothing to do with being greater than others. It has everything to do with being as great as each of us can be.” Henri Nouwen
The me other people want me to be
It seems everyone in your life want you to change. Your boss, you need to be more fit, credit card companies want you to be in more debt. Networks want you watch more TV. Restaurants want you to eat more of their food. Seems everybody has an agenda for you! this is the me other people want you to be. If I spend my life trying to become that me, I will never be free. God did not make you to be somebody else he made you to be you, and no human being in your life has the final word on who God made you to be!
The me I’m afraid God wants
The Barna research group found that the number one challenge to helping people grow spiritually is that most people equate spiritual maturity with trying harder to follow someone’s or an organizations’ rules. But there’s a big difference between following the rules and following Jesus because I can follow the rules without cultivating the right heart.
The me that fails to be
Doctors have a term for infants who fail to gain weight or grow. Failure to thrive kind of sounds like an explanation, but it explains nothing. It’s a languishing or a failure to thrive. Languishing is the condition of someone who may be able to function, but has lost a sense of hope and meaning.
When we give up on our growth and life purpose we languish. We wilt. We fade away. But the good news is that there is a person inside you waiting to come alive!
The me I was meant to be
A flourishing life is possible! The prophet Ezekiel sees a vision (Ch.37) of languishing, a valley of dry bones, an image of a failure to thrive. God asks Ezekiel can these dry bones live? His reply, “God, you know.” God did know and makes them come alive and restores the Jews to Israel after their exile to Babylon.
You don’t want to wait for your circumstances to change in order to live the way you were meant to. You just have to want it more than anything else. A life of freedom and joy is available now, but my main job to stay connected to God. When my primary focus is to be present with God everything has a way of falling into place.
Ever tried to get up on skis from a pontoon boat? You need a more powerful speedboat engine to get up on skis. You just need the greater power to get up. Trying to be the person you were meant to be on your own power is trying to ski behind a rowboat. It’s not going to happen! We need God’s power for our heart and soul.
Join us next time as we see Jesus’ staggering promises about his ability to help us become the best version of ourselves.
