If It’s All About God And None of Me: What About Me? (part 1/2)

july 7, 2014 by bas rijksen leave a comment

Welcome back! Have you picked up your welcome gift yet?

Have you ever wondered “If the Christian life is all of God and none of me, what about me now? If I no longer live, but Christ lives in me what about my desires, my goals, and my ambitions?”

If It’s All About God And None of Me What About Me

Someone recently told me, “It seems if our identity is now completely in Jesus it makes me feel that I am living someone else’s life. Now, amazing and glorious as Jesus is, I want to have and live my own life.”

Have you ever felt that way too?

How can we rime this seemingly contradiction between Christ being your life and identity, yet you having certain ambitions and wanting to live your life to the fullest. And is it true that it’s all about God and none of me?

Spiritual and natural self

To get clarity it’s helpful to make a distinction between our spiritual self and natural self.

Before we talk about our natural self, first some thoughts on our spiritual self.

Let’s say our spirit man is ourspiritual self and our soul and body make up our natural self.

Your spiritual self determines your true identity. Remember, you are a spirit being, who has a soul and lives in a body.

Since Christ resides in your spiritual self, He defines who you really are. That is why 1 John 4:17 says “as Christ is, so are you.” Everything that is true about Christ is true about you.

Your spiritual identity is completely found in Jesus.

Is it all about God and none of me?

Someone who’s been going to church for a while usually has been made painfully aware that it’s all about God and none of us.

Left confused we wonder “But, what about me?

Do I not matter in God’s economy?
Should I die daily?
Must I decrease so He can increase?
Must I sacrifice my dreams and desires on the altar to follow Jesus?”

The answer to all these questions is: NO! (These statements are usually taken out of context and don’t mean what we often think they mean).

However, these are logical questions that stem from an ugly and misguided belief.

And that’s the religious lie that says the Christian life is “all about God and none of me.”

When you refer to that old-selfish-self than indeed it’s not about me. But guess what? God emptied heaven, emptied Himself, to enter my human existence and ever since it has been all about me too!

God invested everything He is, everything He has, to be in you, as you. By grace, you are brought into a perfect uninterupted union with your Maker. His life has become your life. His nature has become your nature.

Don’t you think that perhaps it is all about you too?

Let me tell you a ‘secret.’ The truth is that from God’s perspective IT IS ALL ABOUT YOU!

Now obviously when you’re in love it’s always about the other person. And so for God it is all about you, but for you it’s all about Him.

All of Him And All of Me

Because you’ve come into union with God through Jesus Christ it is all of Him ánd all of me (1 Cor. 6:17)!

Christ is not just in your life, but instead it is Christ as your life that defines your identity (Col. 3:3-4).

In Him we live, move and exist (Acts 17:28).

Christ reveals that there is no place in the universe where God would rather be; His fullness physically resides in Christ.

Jesus proves that human life is tailor-made for God. Jesus Christ mirrors our completeness; He is “I am” in us. (Col. 2:9-10, The Mirror)

So it is all of Him in us, but alsoall of us in Him due to our uninterrupted union with our Maker. Your Christian life is not all of Him and none of me. This is a tricky lie that can lead to passivity, confusion and despair.

Some songs aren’t resembling truth but rather empower lies. Take the song that goes, “It’s all about You, Jesus. And all this is for You. For Your glory and your fame. It’s not about me.”

Yes, we know Jesus is the focal point of history and our lives, but to say “it’s not about me” is an insult to the work and Person of Jesus who brought us into a glorious union with the Father.

If It’s All About God And None of Me What About Me1

Instead of singing language of unbelief let’s sing faith-filled words by agreeing with our Father who says to you, “My beloved, it’s all about ME ánd all about YOU. We exist together in a seamless oneness. Let no one separate what I have joined together.”

There is none like you!

By the way, did you know Jesus sings love songs over you? Do you find it strange to think He is singing over you?

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs” (Zeph. 3:17).

Have you ever sung, “There is none Like You…I could search for all eternity long and find, there is none like You?” Are you ready for an astonishing reality? While you are singing this to Him, He actually sings the same lyrics back to you! Because this is what He thinks about you too. The difference, however is that where we stop singing to Jesus and get on with other things, He never stops singing over us (Heb. 2:12).

Now close your eyes for a moment and listen. Just listen to Jesus singing to you. Telling you that there is none like you. And He has actually searched for all eternity long, found you, and can honestly say there is none other like you!

You were birthed out of Him, a holy bride, for a Bridegroom.

There are not enough eloquent words in all the languages of the world to describe the divine love story between Jesus and you.

You are His companion, His image bearer, His Bride. Yes, the one who is identical and compatible to Him.

You are indescribable irresistible and breathtaking to your Father.

There is none like you. Yes, you!

In the next post more on the natural self to bring this idea full circle. Clickhere to go to part 2.

Righteousness

Sunday 30 August 2015