...and it strikes me that I am reading it through a lense which gives me a certain perspective on that verse. If I deliberately take my lense off and re-read that verse then my reaction to it is quite different. What I read now makes me feel ... condemned because I am not perfect ... stressed because I cannot achieve what is being asked of me ... defeated before I even start ... a whole bunch of 'oughts' & 'shoulds' whirling in my brain ... in short I feel horrible and upset. Not good!
And yet with my lense in place I don't feel any of those negative things. So what is my lense? I am aware that I am reading it through my freedom in Christ.
Over the last few years I have been wrestling to live more and more in the freedom that Christ brings us (Jn 8:36). I think probably this journey has been going on my whole life, and I suspect that until the day I pop my clogs I will not have fully plumbed its depths. That said I think maybe I have grasped something of that freedom more intensely in recent years and that maybe God needed me to learn that first so that He could now to talk to me about this stuff - the how are we to be stuff. Love it when God's plan comes together :)
My freedom in Christ ...
... I am accepted: God loves me AND even likes me for who I am
... I am forgiven: there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ
... I am a saint: when God looks at me He sees the holiness that is already mine in Christ
... I am significant: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
... the list goes on in more and more marvellous truths - what a gift from God that he should see me that way!
The bible tells us to renew our minds (Rom 12:2) and getting to grips with who I am in Christ is definitely a case of needing to renew my mind with these truths every day. Not to believe the little voice in my head that tells me I am foolish, unlikeable, that I must be good to please, that I 'ought' & 'should' or else... And as it turns out renewing my mind with Christ's freedom is totally fundamental to everything in the Christian life. Including my reading of the New Testament's instructions on how we are to be with each other as a church. Huh! Fancy! ;)
So before I wade any further into the New Testament re how we are to be, I am just reminded to focus first and foremost who I am to be. And from that position then, d'you know what? I am going to give being perfect a shot!
with love, kx
PS resources below
- Henri Nouwen 8 part series on youtube 'Becoming the Beloved' Link to part 1 below (Thank you Helen E for introducing me to this stuff!!!)
- Neil Andersen's list of Who I Am In Christ:
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