Not in the I-hate-myself way but more in the I-am-so-tired-of-my-life-being-all-about-me way.
And no, I don't mean this in a super spiritual way. I just mean that I am genuinely tired of dealing with my own problems, my own hurts, and my own issues. They are stealing my joy and I am tired of giving them all of my time and attention.
See, it's a pretty common theme in our culture today to believe that college is all about you.
It's all about your time to find out who you are. Decide who you want to be. Focus on yourself. Be selfish. Make mistakes. And ultimately, do what you want.
Well, I don't know about ya'll, but this isn't working out well for me. The more I focus on myself, the more I realize what a mess I am. The more that I try to put my life together exactly how I want it, the more frustrated I become.
And so I wake up everyday and live my life as if it revolves around me. I talk about me. I think about me. Yep, it's pretty much all about me.
And here is the worst part: We make Jesus about us too.
I might as well be asking Jesus what he can do for me. Jesus can you put my life together perfectly? If I follow you then will you tell me exactly what to do in order to have the best life?
And no, I don't mean this in a super spiritual way. I just mean that I am genuinely tired of dealing with my own problems, my own hurts, and my own issues. They are stealing my joy and I am tired of giving them all of my time and attention.
See, it's a pretty common theme in our culture today to believe that college is all about you.
It's all about your time to find out who you are. Decide who you want to be. Focus on yourself. Be selfish. Make mistakes. And ultimately, do what you want.
Well, I don't know about ya'll, but this isn't working out well for me. The more I focus on myself, the more I realize what a mess I am. The more that I try to put my life together exactly how I want it, the more frustrated I become.
And so I wake up everyday and live my life as if it revolves around me. I talk about me. I think about me. Yep, it's pretty much all about me.
And here is the worst part: We make Jesus about us too.
I might as well be asking Jesus what he can do for me. Jesus can you put my life together perfectly? If I follow you then will you tell me exactly what to do in order to have the best life?
Don't get me wrong here! Yes, of course we should bring all of our problems to the feet of Jesus, but not so that he can fix them- so that he can give us peace! And yes, of course we should follow Jesus and seek His will but not so that he will lead us down the path of happiness with the least amount of hurt and trials. Sometimes following Jesus leads to death. And all of the time the path of Jesus will involve persecution. ("In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus WILL be persecuted" 2Timothy 3:12)
So think about this next time you ask God to reveal his will and perfect plan for your life- ask him because you know it will be the most abundant and fulfilling life and not the easiest, not the tame Christian lifestyle that goes to church on Sunday and prays for God to fix their problems. "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.'"Matthew 16:24-25 Why in the world have we not been taking Jesus's words seriously about this?
Because here is something shocking to our culture- the Gospel is not about you. It is about Jesus. And Jesus did not die on that cross and rise from the grave so that he could fix my earthly problems! He defeated death so that he could free me from my sin!
So what's the cure? How do I stop acting like everything is about me? How do I stop acting like the Gospel is about me?
Share it.
Share the Gospel with your words. Share it with your actions. DO SOMETHING for someone else in the name of Jesus Christ.
Because let me tell you this, when you stop paying attention to your self and your own problems and you start focusing on how God wants to use you to impact others with the power of the Gospel, then your issues will seem insignificant.
Something I am learning is this: Life is better when it's not about me. It's so much more fun and exciting and kind of actually really scary to give your entire life to Jesus and to sharing his Gospel of love and grace with others. Because guess what? It isn't about you anymore. That means that you don't have to worry about all of your problems anymore. Let me say that again, you can stop worrying about figuring out all of your problems and issues and struggles! What a relief! You are FREE! Free to live life abundantly by abandoning your worldly cares and sharing freedom with others! How beautiful.
It is scary because it isn't going to be easy but you get to live for something more than just yourself! It doesn't have to be all about you anymore! Life would be so disappointing if it was only about us and seeking our own happiness. But good news! There is something more to live and to die for!
And YOU get to be a part of it!
So when you realize that you are starting to get sad and anxious and frustrated- stop paying so much attention to yourself. There is a grander picture being painted- one of victory and freedom and grace and love and redemption. And that, my friend, is exciting.
So, if you're tired of yourself- of your life being all about you- then ask Jesus to open your eyes to see beyond yourself. But here's a warning- life might get a little crazy.
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