Jacob is ready to be Jacob..

I watched a Nooma yesterday called "Name". It's basically about the story in the bible about Jacob. Jacob had tried to be someone he wasn't. He tricked his father into believing that he was his brother Esau, and spent a long time running away from Esau because of it.

And then...

"That night Jacob got up and took his two wives (lucky man! lol), his two maidservants and his eleven sons and cross the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacobs hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said "let me go, for it is daybreak" But Jacob replies "I will not let you go until you bless me". The man asked him "what is your name?" "Jacob" he answered." Gen 32:22-27

Jacob has struggled and he's been broken and he's done pretending. He isn't trying to be Esau or anyone else; Jacob has wrestled and overcome. Jacob is ready to be Jacob.

We have to embrace who we are, who God has made us to be. We are shortchanging God if we're not being all that God has created us to be. We each have this unique path, a calling, a life that God has given us; and Jesus invites us to be our true selves and yet we get sidetracked, we get distracted, we get hung up on how we're different from someone else, or how we aren't like him and we end up asking the wrong questions.

We have limits. There are all sorts of things we aren't. There are kinds of people we aren't. Maybe this is why Jesus says to love your neighbour as yourself. How could I ever love and embrace someone else when I've never come to terms with who I am and then who I'm not? Some people live their whole lives according to the expectations of others. Whether its authority figures or family members or friends. Its as if there's this script that has already been written by someone else and all they're essentially doing is just acting it out.

We all need to be saved from all the times we haven't been our true selves. All the times we've tried to be someone else. All the lies we've believed about who God made when God made us. All the times we've asked the wrong questions: What about him? What about her? What about them? And we've missed the voice of Jesus saying "You, follow me"

Its hard work to discover who our true self is, our unique path, who God has called us to be. Being comfortable in our own skin isn't easy.... but until we realise where our identity comes from, we're stuck. May you and I continue to realise that our value comes from being a child of God, made in his image. It's only then that we'll be able to realise our full potential, and love who we are.... and believe it in the deepest part of our bones.

For Him Alone

ness :-)

Not Me, Not Yet, Not That

This morning at 614, General Eva preached on Luke 9:57-62. It's titled the cost of following Jesus.

"As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

People come up with excuses not to follow God, or follow his call on their life. She the three guys in this passage could be summed up with "Not Me, Not Yet, Not That".... One didn't want to believe and follow, the next one didn't want to do it just yet, they wanted to procrastinate a little more, and the third one didn't want to do what God wanted him to do... he'd prefer something else.

It's a lot like that for us isn't it. When God lays something on our heart, or a call on our lives, we often answer with one of those three answers. I know I sure have, and usually in that progression. First was the stage of denial... The "God, are you sure you want me for that?!"... closely followed by "not THAT!".... and then "not yet God!"..

But I realised (again) today that nothing can stop be following God. There is no excuse good enough to deny doing Gods will. Nothing will be accepted. The only answer that will be accepted is "Yes God, have your way".

And why wouldn't that be the answer I want to give? No sacrifice that I am going to have to make will ever compare to the sacrifices that Jesus has made for me. God sent his one and only son to die on this earth for me, and I complain about doing Gods will because it might be a little uncomfortable?.. because i'm scared i'm not going to be good enough, because I'm going to have to deny myself?.. Seriously.. how arrogant of me?!!! Gosh!

I'm sure i'm not the only one in this world who thinks this way.... do you? Do you make excuses so you don't have to do what you KNOW God has called you to do? Do you put up a wall, hoping God won't get through. Do you say... just wait a little while God, i have a few things to do first?

If Jesus had waited?... would we be where we are today?

For Him Alone

Ness :-)