I’ve spent the last week in bear country. Everywhere you go there are signs giving warnings, telling you what to do and what not to do. Don’t leave food out. Carry bear spray. Travel in groups. Don’t go off the trail. Now these are all things that you are to do before you actually meet a bear. You do everything you can to avoid the encounter. But when you actually meet a bear, the rules change. There’s no more avoidance. For most of us, our proclivity would then be to run. Get out of the way of danger. Flee the scene as fast as you can.
In the book of Acts we read that one of the four things the early church devoted itself to was fellowship. Fellowship was a very important part of their reason for meeting together. The passage of scripture I am reminded of is Acts 2:42-44 (NIV). In verse 42 it says, "they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
"Who do you want be?"
I hear this question asked in many different contexts. Quite honestly, I never fully understood it. I didn't believe that I had that much control over who I could be. Sounds crazy right! A pastor writing himself off? Yep, we have our doubts too. The great thing is we are only truth dealers not truth creators. Jesus does that.
Yet, here is what gets in the way of me believing the truth about me becoming who I want to be:
1) The present expectations of people. Growing up around the church there was an unspoken pressure to be a certain way, which wasn't always Godly and authentic. This pressure isn't limited to the church, though. In all environments, there is a pressure to be a certain way. As a young child, I just assumed the pressure to find a role or fit in was a school adolescent thing, but it's not. There are subcultures and expectations in the environments we work in, live in and play in.
2) The conditioning environments we grow up in. This point isn't meant to blame my childhood for my faults and not being who I want to be. This point is logical. When you see and engage in the behaviors of those you spend the most time with, it leads to you believing that is just who you are. In the midst of these consistent behaviors you tend to take on a labels or roles based on your differences to that environment.
3) Sin. Any sin past, present and future can surely make you believe you are living a life beyond your ability to manage. When you do things you never thought you would do, it leads you to believe you are not in control.
4) Shame. Along with sin, comes shame. Shame can lead you to believe there is no hope. No one, not even God could see you differently. That is a lie.
There are more things that seem to discredit the idea that you can be anything you want to be. You might feel stuck like me. You may think that who you have been just makes sense, whether you like it or not. Thoughts like your poor consistent decisions rule you out of becoming all that you want to be.
What if!?
I once heard a friend and mentor in a tough situation that I was involved in ask the question, What if!? When I heard this question it led me to believe any thing is possible. In order to get out of the mindset you can't change, you need to hang with people that believe you can. You need a Jesus that says you can and gives you the power to do so.
If you feel stuck and don't believe you could possibly become better, here are a few "what if" questions Jesus presents when you hang with Him.
In the Old Testament (Exodus 3) God called Moses to be someone who saved His people from the most powerful nation. Moses had all sorts of doubt but God reminded Him that, "I am" was with Him. All things are possible with God. The blind can see, the lame can walk, the addict can be set free, the insecure can lead, and the "what if's" can come true.
See you Sunday at Cross Culture Church a place where anything is possible with people that believe in you.
Michael
Fall is in the air here in Colorado! I hope you had some time to enjoy the beauty of the fall before we had that premature visit from the winter snow. I love the fall for a lot of reasons: the newness that comes with the start of another school year; the change in seasons that gives me a fresh perspective; the chill in the evening air that necessitates a sweater. Most of all, though, I love fall for the changing leaves. What a beautiful process it is to see the greens shift to vibrant yellows and oranges and transform into deep reds and purples.
This is week two in the new series The Good Doctor on ABC. It is about a young doctor (not Doogie) who has autism. If you haven't seen the first episode, I won't ruin it for you, but it is exciting and tear-filled. The entire show, the young doctor confused everyone with whom he came in contact. He was different.
When my roommate moved here last year from Florida, she was mesmerized by the Colorado beauty (I mean, who can blame her? Colorado is incredible). This brought a whole new perspective to my life. Runs through the park were an encounter with wildlife, and yes, I do mean those pesky prairie dogs-she couldn't get enough. Hikes in areas I'd been before became a lesson in forestry. She would ask me names of every tree, and I never had any idea. These were the same places I'd been many times before, but I was starting to see them through her eyes. As she noticed details I overlooked, my perspective changed and my appreciation grew.
![True Fellowship [Guest]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/557e453fe4b0db2f0d1103bc/1508870812407-FWI1IAR6X45D9GQ4QDVX/youth.jpeg)
![Noticing and Naming [Guest]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/557e453fe4b0db2f0d1103bc/1506459144584-GQEKPODASLY5F0HAIOBP/reading+table.jpg)