1 Life Your Choice

"Who are you?" Have you ever been asked this question? Maybe you have even asked this question as you stared into the mirror.  In either circumstance, for most people, this is one question that brings fear, stammering, and a confusing life story / testimony / difference between what I do and who I am definition.  I have witnessed very few times where this question was met with a clear, concise, quick answer... even during those "mirror conversations".  I recently watch a video that touched on this topic from a business point of view; however, instead of asking the question "Who are you?", the speaker simply asked "Why do you do what you do?".  As I watched I definitely saw the need for a company to know why they do what they do, simply because it rallies people around an idea - it causes their heart to resonate with a resounding "That's exactly how I feel".  It instills passion, invokes emotion and gets to who we truly are as people.  Yet as I watched the video, my mind turned from business to myself.  Why do I do the things I do?  If I understood the reason "Why" I do things, would this help me understand and be able to clarify exactly who I am? And, if I were to truly be honest about why I do what I do, would I like the result of who it said I was? I am in the midst of wrestling with this question and it has brought a new light to my daily activities; "Why do I do the things I do?" has revealed some inconsistencies in who I say that I am.  This has bothered me to say the least. 

I have realized that, as a Christian, no experience should justify a change in my answer to who I am.  Dr. Martin Luther King (whom the video also speaks of) never defined himself by what he did, how he had been treated, or the attributes he had been born with. All of these things helped to guide him in some way but they never defined him.  He chose to define himself by who Christ said that he was; and because of this, the reason he did the things that he did, his "Why", never changed.  When I let someone's actions determine my kindness level to them; when I allow my feelings to dictate my obedience; when I let the past determine the future; I have gotten off track.

I am a child of the King, a disciple of Jesus Christ.  I do the things I do to bring honor and glory to His name. I love others so that others can know His love; "love the Lord your God with all your heart".  I worship Him in gratitude for who He is and all He has done; "love the Lord your God with all your soul". I live with integrity and keep my mind pure so that I do not tarnish the name of Christ; "love the Lord your God with all your mind". I workout and practice healthy habits to honor the temporary temple He has blessed me with; "love the Lord your God with all your strength".  Why do I do these things?  Because of who I am.  When these two become incongruent, either I have become someone else or I am practicing behaviors that do not represent my true self.

So, who are you?  Would your "why" confirm that answer or would it cause people to think "Maybe he needs to spend a little more time in front of the mirror."  My prayer is that you will experience the joy that comes when your "who" and "why" line up!

John 3:30,
Jonathan
To watch the video by Simon Sinek that got me thinking, just click below.  Believe me, it will be a well invested 18 minutes.

Like any cash-strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we don't. And if I have to enforce this discipline by veto, I will. (Applause.)

My thought, as I'm sure is the thought of many others, is - shouldn't this be our mentality all the time?  Whether in times of blessing or in times of crisis, shouldn't we be acting within the confines of a budget?  Now before you think this post is getting ready to go political, let me make clear where I am headed.  Much like our government (all parties included), most people act differently in times of blessing than they do in times of crisis.  I believe it is one of those areas of our life we have to relearn as we are being renewed (Rom. 12:1).

Because as I look through scripture, I don't see a God that bases His actions on the state of the economy or other factors that seem to play into our own, sometimes confused, decision making.  Rather, as it says in 1 Cor. 14:33 - "...for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace."  And if we are called to be like him, shouldn't there be some consistency, some peace, in our own lives even during times of crisis?  You see this principle throughout scripture, yet one of my favorites is found in Genesis 41:29-32.  Here we see Joseph interpreting a dream for the Pharaoh of Egypt, telling him to store up grain (stick to a budget) during the coming 7 years of abundance.  Why?  Because there were 7 years of famine that were to follow.

So what does all of this mean?  What does the President's speech, or Pharaoh’s dream, have to do with my life today?  The answer is simple.  What is the State of the Union in your life?  Or maybe to put it in another way, what is the State of Your Family / Relationship with God / Career / Physical health?  To answer this, we need to know where we have been, where we are, and have a clear plan of where we are going.  And this always requires us to "budget".  We all get 24 hours each day... are you investing them with intention?  Or are you carelessly squandering them away because you just happen to be in some years of abundance (nothing bad is happening in your life).  Know that crisis will come, it always does.  And the one who will be able to walk through it peacefully will be the one who has taken the time to "invest" - giving God their Heart / Soul / Mind / Strength. 

Praying for you as you prepare your "State of the Union Address",

Jonathan Absher