If It’s All About God And None of Me: What About Me? (part 2/2)
Welcome back! Have you picked up your welcome gift yet?
In the last post we concluded that the popular notion that says “it’s all about God and none of me” is actually a lie.
Today, I’ll continue to share some thoughts on the question: 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, my ambitions?”
Here’s the Video in which you get the full episode in one sitting:
Questions to consider
Some might say, “I still believe it’s all about God.” I agree. It is all about Him. I mean, He is the Creator, we are the created.
For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things (Rom. 11:36).
God is the initiator of all things therefore everything finds its relevance only in Him. However, the other side of the coin is that you’ve become like Him in spirit and that you are a partaker of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4)!
Therefore, everything that’s true about His nature is true about your nature – your spiritual self. Talking about being valuable, awesome and beautiful!
If you struggle with the idea that it’s not just all about God but also all about you, here are some questions to consider.
Is it not about you?
- What if you are made one with God? (1 Cor. 6:17)
- What if you are a joint-heir with Christ? (Rom 8:17)
- What if you are a son of God? (Gal. 3:26)
- What if you are identical to Jesus? (1 John 4:17)
- What if you are a heir of all that is God’s? (Gal. 4:1 )
- What if you are seated on a throne with Christ? (Eph. 2:6)
- What if you are a king? (Rev. 1:6)
- What if you are a lord? (1 Tim. 6:15)
- What if you are a priest? (Rev. 5:10)
- What if you are crowned with glory, honor and power for all eternity? (Heb 2:7)
Is it really not about you?
- What if you are a partaker of His divine nature? (2 Peter 1:4)
- What if you are a god – with a little ‘g’? (Ps. 82:6, John 10:34)
- What if you are on equal standing with the Father as Jesus is? (1 John 4:17)
- What if you are not only justified, but also glorified? (Rom. 8:30)
- What if you are a son of glory? (John 17:22)
- What if you are a ruler on this earth? (Gen. 1:28)
- What if you are robed with the same glory as Jesus is? (John 17:24)
- What if you are anointed with the same anointing as Jesus is? (1 John 2:20,27)
- What if you will be forever ruling the earth with Jesus in this age and the next? (Gen. 1:28)
How can we say, “It’s all of God and none of me?”
In God’s economy it’s all of Him ánd all of me.
You’re caught up in an eternal uninterrupted union and friendship with your Bridegroom. You are His object of love!
To say, “it’s all about God and not about me” is a religious cliche and an insult to Jesus because you are identical to Christ in spirit which empowers you to exercise dominion on earth, now and forever.
Let’s celebrate the fact that it’s all about us in the Father’s eyes and be recipients of His affection and enjoyment towards us.
His face is turned towards you. He’s smiling upon you. He’s always fully pleased with you apart from your works.
Humility or pride?
I can hear someone say, “But brother, this idea that it’s also about us will make people prideful as it will feed their ego.”
Well, it actually has the opposite effect.
Humility is agreeing with what God has said about you; it is having an accurate estimation of who you are.
It is perfect humility to declare about yourself what the Father has said about you. For me to say, “it’s all of God and all of me” is perfect humility because that is what He says about me.
Thinking less of your self is a false counterpart of true humility. It is false humility when you say things like, “I’m worthless, I’m not that important, it’s really not about me but all about God…” That kind of thinking is false humility knocking at your door.
But aren’t we admonished to not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, but rather to think of ourselves with sober judgment (Rom. 12:3)?
Yes, but before you think to highly or yourself, you must first realize how high you’ve been seated (Eph. 1:20-23), how great the One is who lives in you (Col. 1:26-27, 3:3), and the fact that you are the image of God!
Do you think that you’ve even started to scratch the surface of your unparalleled identity and inheritance? Don’t think so. Rather, we have the tendency to esteem ourselves lower than God esteems us, which is to degrade the Christ-identity in us.
Natural self
Ok, but what about our natural self? Where do my dreams, talents, ambitions and goals fit into the picture?
Living your live to the fullest is when you’re allowing Christ to express His life through you, taking full advantage of your own unique natural talents, interests, strengths and ambitions.
It’s like the sun shining through a stain glassed window. The sun is doing all the shining, but the beautiful colors being projected on the other side are because of the unique, amazing design of the window.
Here’s what it means. The sun is the life of Christ. Your natural self (soul and body) is the window. The unique design in the glass represent your personality, gifts, dreams, desires, goals and ambitions. The beautiful colors is what you create and accomplish in your life.
Because God gave you specific talents, interests, dreams, desires, strengths, likes, dislikes, skills, etc., He didn’t intend for you to ignore them, leave them unused or sacrifice them on the altar. No not at all! He wants you to fully embrace your natural self in the context of your spiritual self.
He wants you to pursue your God-given dreams and desires in order to enjoy what you absolutely love to do.
Your dreams and desires are not to be put to death. Those are things that Jesus put in you. Sure, keep them surrendered to Him just as your very life is no longer your own (1 John 4:17, Gal. 2:20, 2 Cor. 5:16). But please, feel the freedom to make tons of cash, have an amazing family, get a great job, serve the poor, play sports, write books, go to parties, and enjoy your life Go, live life and live it to the fullest! – Blaise Foret
In other words, do what you want to do as you continue to be led by the Spirit.
Empowered by Him, you create, plan, work, accomplish things to be a blessing to others. As you allow Christ to animate your actions it is your personality, physical body, your will and mind that display a unique and astonishing set of colors to the world that we haven’t seen before.
Meanwhile, let others admire your giftedness and your unique expression of your design.
Gods first concern is your happiness and fulfillment. His desire is to give you abundant life. His gifts are to enhance your life and bring you the most joy possible….If you have joy and contentment, the radiance of Christ will shine through you, and His presence and existence will speak for itself. He gets glory and is happy when you are free and at liberty. Your gifts were given for this purpose….His kingdom is not about Him; it’s about you, and it does not benefit Him one iota until He sees that you are receiving that fulfillment. Sadly, we have been raised to expect Gods will and plans for our lives to be something we will naturally hate. For the most part, we can’t conceive of a God who would want us to do the things our heart desire. We’ve been trained to believe that God gets a kick out of calling us in the opposite direction of where we want to go, as though it’s always a test to see if we will serve Him over the things we desire. Love simply does not think this way. It doesn’t look to be served. Love serves, remember? – Darin Hufford
God didn’t intend for you to fit into a cookie cutter mold of being a “good Christian.” Not one of us is the same.
Being like the glass stain window we ought be radiating a mix of beautiful, unique colors that one one else is able to reproduce, copy or imitate. Why? Because there is none like you – both spiritually and naturally speaking.
Just like how a husband and wife become one through marriage but are still two distinct individuals with their own unique traits, so you have become one with Jesus through a covenant relationship but you still have your own distinct personality, skills, ambitions and unique traits.
Even though you are married to Jesus, you are still your own distinct unique person.
In fact, your oneness with Jesus Christ frees you up to not be a cookie cutter person (remember the light shining through the glass stain window).
You are meant to take full advantage of your desires, dreams, ambitions and passions from the place of being animated and empowered by Christ’s life.
It’s from a place of restful trust that you produce lasting fruit and can enjoy life to the fullest.
So go out and don’t try to be like the guy next door. Just start working where your desires and talents are and go from there. You’ll be amazedhow you will change the world by doing what you like to do…and…we will be amazed at your unequaled distinctiveness.
Be different! Because you are.
All of creation longs to know you…with all of your distinctiveness.
Every quirk or peculiarity about you is wonderful.
You.
Are.
Very.
Good.
Again, take a couple of minutes, and just listen to Jesus singing to you. “There is none like you. No one else can touch My heart like you do I have searched for all eternity long and found there is none like you.”
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