Becoming

Has anyone ever said to you, "You're a good person"? What are they really saying by this? From what I can tell, they are measuring who you are by the sum total of all your actions in relationship to them. So who I am to them is based on all the choices I make when I am in their presence, or the presence of others who know them. What they summarize my actions to be is who I am to them. This is a sobering thought, calling my decisions in my relationships to deeper accountability to whatever is good and right.

Speaking of accountability, I'm also a Christ follower, and recently I've been even more convicted to consider my actions in the light of the life of Jesus. Would Jesus the righteous one say, "You're a good person," after I finished binge watching my Netflix show? I believe he can see ALL my actions as well as my thoughts, and if I'm honest, I would say no. But he still loves me and I get consolation from that. But I'm past consolation for not measuring up. Jesus died for me so I wouldn't have to live ashamed. He died for me so that I could be a son. And not just a son, but a co-heir with Him. If I actually believe this, then who I am and the decisions I make should be changing every day in accordance with Jesus. Jesus made me for righteousness and Spirit living.

So is it possible to live a righteous life? No and Yes. No in the sense that I do not have the ability to always make a righteous choice of my own volition. But yes in the sense that the Holy Spirit lives in me, and I can yield everything to Him because Jesus made it so. I have a present intimacy with the Holy Spirit whom was sent to me when I believed Jesus. So yes I can live righteously, should I believe. And as my choices begin to shape who I am becoming that picture is much better than the picture I used to see. I know that Jesus is for me. I know that He never ceases to love me into whatever He saw me becoming when he made me.

Jesus sees past what our sum total of experiences was. He sees the person he always knew we could be. Take Peter for example. Jesus called him a Rock BEFORE Peter denied him. Jesus gave Peter a vision for his life that spoke to the truth of who Peter really was. When Peter denied Him, the risen Christ showed him that He was still for Peter. The Peter after the resurrection was a totally different person. That's where Jesus wants us to start living. From the point of freedom. From the place of victory. From resurrection power. He wants to create a new sum total of our experiences. What we become is not contingent on our life before Jesus, but after. Jesus wants each choice to be considered in the light of Him.

Now today I choose to pause. To surrender all my decisions to Him. To "Walk by the Spirit," and give God everything. I choose to repent from all the idols I've been giving my time and energy to. I choose to let God work in my new life and shape me.

This surrender is for my church. This surrender is for my wife. This is for my children yet to be born. This surrender is for my neighbors. That they would see that I'm becoming love. And they would see Jesus.