Probably not the blog title you were expecting from a missionary straight off the field. The statement “you weren’t made to be a Christian” is pretty dramatic but I truly believe it. So much of my Race carried the theme of IDENTITY, as it does for many World Racers. As the Spirit guides me in processing the past 11 months, He has tied up some loose ends and brought conclusions to seemingly unrelated lessons. All the lessons I have learned about identity, have culminated into this freeing and revolutionary statement:
You Weren’t Made to be a Christian
Think about it. You were designed, handcrafted by the Father to walk with Him in the cool of the evening. Ephesians says, you were chosen BEFORE the foundation of the world. So BEFORE the fall of man, you were in the mind and heart of the Father. He created you for Himself. You were created with deep purpose and that purpose wasn’t to be a Christian.
Okay, I’m getting ahead of myself.
There is a certain vibe that comes with the word Christian. It is a religion. Some would say, “it’s not a religion, it’s a relationship”. Either way it is a means of reconciling oneself to God. And for most, an explanation of the word “Christian” would also include a laundry list of things Christians do:
Read the Bible.
Memorize scripture.
Dress modestly.
Consume little or no alcohol.
Go to church.
Being a “Christian” becomes an identity. Some people claim this identity as their own while others spend their lives trying to attain it. We have in our minds a picture of what a “Christian” is and we feel that we must be that. We spend our lives conforming to our culture’s idea of a “Christian”.
But I wonder, if while trying to be a “Christian” we miss out on discovering who God made us to be? After all, if God just wanted a group of people who gives the “right” answers, performs religious rituals, and looks the same, wouldn’t He have created a “God Army”?
So hear me out, there is nothing wrong with the word “Christian” or being a Christian. But that’s not our ultimate purpose, that's not the end. In fact that’s just the beginning. Through Jesus, we are reconciled to God, to our Father and that is where it begins! He speaks over each of us the UNIQUE identity, personality, passions, and calling He placed inside each of us before time even existed.
You weren’t made to be a Christian. You were made to be YOU. You were made to walk with your Father and experience deep joy in His presence. Catch this, God not only loves you, He LIKES you. He loves hearing your voice. He thinks you are funny. He likes the way you dress. He enjoys being your peace and place of rest. And He loves it when you find yourself fully alive in your passions and dreams. So it’s not about becoming a Christian or a better Christian, it’s about returning home to our Father and hearing Him speak our identity over us.
No one is fighting for YOU more than God.
One last thought. We will not spend eternity as “Christians”. There will be no need. This label is a means of identifying Jesus’ followers while on the Earth. God never even used the term. The world calls us Christians. God calls us sons and daughters. He calls us by a new name. Let's live as He sees us.
For many, becoming a Christian sounds like a task not a joy. It summons you to a life of “never being good enough” and “boring religion”. But what if following Jesus was about finding eternal pleasure in being the sons and daughters God made us to be?
Eric Liddell, an Olympian runner and lover of Jesus, is famous for this quote:
“I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.”
God wants us to be who He made us to be. Not conform to what our culture says is “Christian”. Eric knew this. He found the deepest joy and eternal pleasure when being the unique person God made him to be.
You are a son of the King, made for greatness!
You are a daughter of the King that is worth being fought for, loved, and cherished!
This is who you are.
You were made for this.
