Who I'm Not
Parker and I are reading through John's gospel in our journey thru the New Testament. Thought I'd share a thought.
John says in John 1:20: "I am not the Messiah."
I think there are two fundamental questions that drive us: 1) who is God? 2) who am I? And the first question is the key to the second question for a very simple reason. If God knows you better than you know you, then you need to get to know God so you can get to know yourself. Think about it.
Half of the "who am I" journey is discovering who you are--gifts, personality, passions, etc. The other half is discovering who you're not. And this is where true freedom is found. It starts with this simple acknowledgment: "I am not the Messiah."
I think most of us spend way too much energy trying to be who we're not. But the greatest freedom is having nothing to prove. And I think that is why John was used by God in such a great way. He knew who he wasn't. "I am not." In the process, I think we not only come to terms with things we're not good at. We learn to laugh at them. In fact, the healthiest and holiest people on the planet, in my estimation, are the people who laugh at themselves the most.
John says in John 1:20: "I am not the Messiah."
I think there are two fundamental questions that drive us: 1) who is God? 2) who am I? And the first question is the key to the second question for a very simple reason. If God knows you better than you know you, then you need to get to know God so you can get to know yourself. Think about it.
Half of the "who am I" journey is discovering who you are--gifts, personality, passions, etc. The other half is discovering who you're not. And this is where true freedom is found. It starts with this simple acknowledgment: "I am not the Messiah."
I think most of us spend way too much energy trying to be who we're not. But the greatest freedom is having nothing to prove. And I think that is why John was used by God in such a great way. He knew who he wasn't. "I am not." In the process, I think we not only come to terms with things we're not good at. We learn to laugh at them. In fact, the healthiest and holiest people on the planet, in my estimation, are the people who laugh at themselves the most.
6 Comments:
Great thought...thanks.
I have focused too much at times on who I am not. I'm not as good as... God just wants us to be who He has created us to be.
there is a wonderful piece of writing on john the baptist and Jesus in a chapter of the book 'ordering your private world' by gordan macdonald.
good stuff.
*hasler
"In fact, the healthiest and holiest people on the planet, in my estimation, are the people who laugh at themselves the most."
Thank you for the reminder. A short but great article.
Great thoughts Mark! I am reading Disconnected by Chap and Dee Clark right now. They share many of the same thoughts. Sometimes I need the same info from 2 different sources in order for it to stick.
Good day!
It is very informative and has a very good quality in it.
I like it...
www.Squidoo.com/MPI
mliragana.blogspot.com
Thank you very much for your time.
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