WITH vs IN
As I have grown up I have often noticed that people, including myself, tend to be different people for different situations. And while sometimes this makes sense, for example you can't quote The Office in a business meeting like you would if you're with friends, other times it doesn't. Sometimes it does more harm than good. As a Christian I experience this often. People who think they need to be one thing in order to be good enough for God.
PLOT TWIST: God loves the weak and the broken. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
In our weakness God is glorified and made stronger. God purposely chooses the weak and broken that way when his will is done, there is no doubt that it was through God. He purposely and avidly pursues those of us who think we need to be something else. Often we try to be perfect and solve our own problems, that leaves us worn out and tired or flat out defeated. However in these moments if we were to instead, oh I don't know, rely on God, these feelings wouldn't exist!
In my own life I realized I was doing this often. I was constantly being someone I wasn't in order to protect a fragile image I wanted to portray. I would hide my problems and try to look perfect and blameless on the outside because I believed I had to have it all together to come to God. This is an example of being raised WITH God but not IN God. With God is like when you have known someone your whole life and you sleep over at their house every weekend, but you still don't feel comfortable going in the fridge for a drink without asking or wearing your favorite (yet embarrassing) pajamas. In God is the deeper relationship where you can wholeheartedly and unapologetically be yourself. Your messy, weird pj wearing self. With God you focus on rules and being polite and being presentable. In God you live freely and fully because your life is rooted in the strength of your relationship with God. You are able to let go or embrace your weaknesses because those are what make your relationship full.
Instead of being WITH God and feeling burned out by being something you're not, be IN God and live an empowered life, not an overwhelmed life. Living in God takes away the blame and guilt you feel, it takes away the fear of not being good enough, instead it replaces it with a strong love and the strength of the Lord. That other identity plagued with doubt or shame or guilt or fear of rejection, now is replaced and represents love, grace, and acceptance.
Let your weakness shine. Accept your weaknesses and realize that in those weaknesses God makes you strong. Know that through this you are practicing being IN God and not just WITH God.
Matthew 11: 28-30 says:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Screw looking good on the outside. Embrace God's grace.
PLOT TWIST: God loves the weak and the broken. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
In our weakness God is glorified and made stronger. God purposely chooses the weak and broken that way when his will is done, there is no doubt that it was through God. He purposely and avidly pursues those of us who think we need to be something else. Often we try to be perfect and solve our own problems, that leaves us worn out and tired or flat out defeated. However in these moments if we were to instead, oh I don't know, rely on God, these feelings wouldn't exist!
In my own life I realized I was doing this often. I was constantly being someone I wasn't in order to protect a fragile image I wanted to portray. I would hide my problems and try to look perfect and blameless on the outside because I believed I had to have it all together to come to God. This is an example of being raised WITH God but not IN God. With God is like when you have known someone your whole life and you sleep over at their house every weekend, but you still don't feel comfortable going in the fridge for a drink without asking or wearing your favorite (yet embarrassing) pajamas. In God is the deeper relationship where you can wholeheartedly and unapologetically be yourself. Your messy, weird pj wearing self. With God you focus on rules and being polite and being presentable. In God you live freely and fully because your life is rooted in the strength of your relationship with God. You are able to let go or embrace your weaknesses because those are what make your relationship full.
Instead of being WITH God and feeling burned out by being something you're not, be IN God and live an empowered life, not an overwhelmed life. Living in God takes away the blame and guilt you feel, it takes away the fear of not being good enough, instead it replaces it with a strong love and the strength of the Lord. That other identity plagued with doubt or shame or guilt or fear of rejection, now is replaced and represents love, grace, and acceptance.
Let your weakness shine. Accept your weaknesses and realize that in those weaknesses God makes you strong. Know that through this you are practicing being IN God and not just WITH God.
Matthew 11: 28-30 says:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Screw looking good on the outside. Embrace God's grace.
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