“Be Yourself!”
These were the final words from my maternal grandfather (Opa Nederlof)
to all of his grandchildren- in the form of a letter given to us all back in
1996. I’ve thought about those
words a lot since then. But
who am I really? On the one hand, I thought about how
encouraging those words are, “My grandfather loved me just for who I am. He didn’t want to change me one
bit.” On the other hand, as a
freshman in college, away from the family and community I knew so well and to
be honest, participating in activities that I probably shouldn’t have (drinking
off campus), those two words were a serious call back to reality.
If being myself means acting irresponsible, going along with
where the crowd is heading and looking for “easy” girls to connect with for the
night, then going to those parties would be totally understandable. Sinners sin, that’s what they do. Thankfully I was raised better than
that and being myself meant being responsible, being a leader and treating
girls with respect and dignity.
Now, I’m not the only one who has ever pondered the question
of identity. It all started in the
Garden. Well, it all really
started with Satan, who wanted to trade who he was, for who he was not (Ezekiel
28:14-15). And he brought that
same wickedness to the garden with him.
“Oh no, you won’t die…you’ll become just like God, knowing good and
evil”. What! Why? They had it so good there, walking in the Garden daily with
God.
Even today, we’re trading who we are for who we are
not. We’re settling for the
world’s lies that as men, if we only have this career, that kind of insurance
and take that drug, we’ll be more successful, safe and happy and women can
somehow become more beautiful, energetic, and relaxed if they only use those
certain products too. Like in the
movie Good Will Hunting, where Will’s best friend wished he wouldn’t just grow
old with him and take his kids to little league, “you’re sitting on a winning
lottery ticket, Will!” In fact,
we’re all sitting on a winning lottery ticket! Not our incredible minds, but our whole, redeemed selves… we
just have to take that truth in and cash it. We’re saints who sometimes sin.
We’re being reminded here at G42 that, in reality, we are
created in the image of God.
Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we can enjoy a redeemed and restored
relationship with our Creator now.
We’re told that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to us…and
like his disciples, we shouldn’t so much rejoice about all the demons fleeing
but that our names are written in the Book of Life! We win this thing!
So, let’s not fear anything, and since our names are written in
the book of Life, let’s send some demons to the place they belong.
Our World belongs to God!
Here is a quote by Marianne Williamson, used in Nelson Mandela’s 1992 inaugural address, which I read for the first time after graduating from college and have enjoyed coming back to again and again.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
