Sanctification is a process. That’s probably something we don’t mention enough in the church, but it is something that we acknowledge nonetheless. You don’t choose to follow Christ one evening and then wake up following His will perfectly. The chase after Christ is a progression of tiny, yet radical, steps designed to make large changes overall.
But we’re impatient, faulty. We seek clear, unique, and massive changes in our lives and our actions because of Christ, and sometimes we try to engineer those things when they don’t need to be done. We try so hard to be others because they look like they’re doing it right, or for whatever other reason we concoct in our hearts and minds. But that’s not what we’re supposed to do. You are called to be uniquely you, doing what God has called you to do, changing how God has called you to change, and being different from the way you used to be.
I’ve touched on this subject in the past briefly, but I felt the need to reiterate it today. It’ll be somewhat of a running theme across today’s and Wednesday’s post. Here it is: Your job is to be different from the worldly you, not like other believers. Your job is to be salt of the earth, bringing out unique flavor from where you are, not where others are.
I think people get this idea that they have to be a pastor, a teacher, a worship leader, or a missionary in the Congo to make an impact for the kingdom, and they try so hard to make themselves into one. And I don’t fully blame this on the church, but I somewhat do, because we have stopped being the salt of the earth.
We don’t look any different from nonbelievers. We don’t act any different. And worst of all, individual members of the church are not doing their jobs of going and making disciples. And we’ve created this false dichotomy that only church leaders can spread the gospel, not because it’s true, but because they’re the only ones who are actually doing it.
And we dig deeper and find that younger Christians see this happening, and whether they fully understand it, they’re basing their faith on that. And now, instead of modeling their life after Christ and seeking what He has planned for them, they’re fixated on becoming pastors and teachers and worship leaders and missionaries in the Congo because “being a stay-at-home mom can’t further the kingdom. There’s no way that’s what God wants for my life,” or “working a 9-5 office job won’t allow me to spread the gospel. That can’t be what I’m called to do.”
The song of the week comes in with this theme: God makes you free to be you not someone else. It’s time we stop modeling our faith after the faith of others and start modeling our lives after Jesus and let the faith come along with that. Stop trying to live like your pastor or your mentor and start trying to live like a you who knows Jesus.
See, the way that this works is actually a pretty simple equation. Without God, you are unable to be who you are supposed to be. Why? Because you are made in the image of God, and without Him being Lord of your life, you can’t live up to everything you are, only part of it. So, when you come to know God, you are enabled to be fully you. When you become fully you, you enable God to be fully Himself in your life. If part of God’s character is being Lord of your life, then when you know Him, you give Him this part of His identity.
The equation is thus: a broken you + God = Fully You and Lord God. Because all of you is equivalent to a you who follows God’s plan. A you who chooses to follow someone else’s life is not fully you. Who you are is dependent on who you follow. So, stop trying to be other people. You’re free to be you only in Christ Jesus, only when following His will. So be you.