Who are You?

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:6-17

It seems we have this constant burden in our lives to please everyone around us. Our teens want to be accepted into a group so the immitate any number of behaviors that maybe we would or do not favor. Our coworkers and even at time ourselves do things at our jobs that if the tables were turned we would complaine about. I know many of my coworkers have done this. I of course am the perfect employee so I have not taked about any of my customers degradingly…as long as they are in ear shot at least.

We want to please everyone, we drive ourselves mad trying to do this or the opposite trying to act as if we do not care. The problem is we do care, we get upset if someone is just a little to vocal about their oppinions that contradict ours’. We want to receive a promotion so we act in certain ways even when we would perfer to tell our managers they are full of hot air. Sometimes we are quite when we shoul be speaking and acting out.

I am sure there are many therories to hy we do what we do as humans, but the reality is we do not have to be this way. Paul says to be confident in our faith. Not timid, not judgemental, and not shy. Confident. Are we cofident? Since we spend so much time trying to please everyone around us my guess is NO, we re as far from confident as we could be.

The confidence that I feel Paul is speaking of is being real, honest, and humble. Knowing who we truely are and living it out daily. We are used to facades we are all good actors, if a camera were to follow us around each day it would probably surprise most of us as to how quickly and often we move in and out of character. At one moment you are a smiling friend to everyone, and the moment the back is turned you turn into grumpy. In Christ we become a new creation, the old is gone and the new comes in.

Have you really thought about this new creation? Is it realy throwing every aspect of our present or past person out and making us into something totally different? I cannot say yes or no on this. As I look at my own life I would defenatly say not a lot has changed. I look the same and have the same sense of humor (dry and sarcastic) as I always have, but there are definate differences also. I talk more now than I did before. I enjoy going to social events where I dreaded them before. I could almost say I am totally changed, but I am not I am still myself.

The confidence or the reality is that I know myself. I know who I am, where I stand, and why I am standing there. I am not swayed around in a wind or a changing cultural tide. I am confident. This confidence is not because I have done anything spectacular, I a confident because I know that God has done spectacular in me.

To gain this kind of confidence comes from spending time with God in prayer. It comes through listening to His Spirit in our actions. It comes through living the life Christ would have for us to live with those around us. We cannot do this in our own power. If we actually do not have a relationship with the divine personally we will only be empty shells of humanity. The change in confidence can only happen if there is something real acting in our lives. I know God is real and active in the lives of humanity because I experience it every day. I am fully comfortable with who I am and am just as comfortable even if you do not agree.

Today as you pray consider the areas of your life where you would like to see something new, consider who you have been or are now, and let God take control of those areas. Now once you consider those area, stop worrying about it and just focus on God for a while. After a few weeks I encourage you to look back to this day of prayer and see where God has taken you. If you do not keep a prayer journal I encourage you to do so. It is a great confidence builderto see where your journey with God has gone and als to see how God answers the prayers you make.