Who are you? (Who who)

I have been running a lot lately. By a lot, I mean about 3 miles every night. It's not something that is exactly characteristic of an overweight 21 year old. It hurts, it's hard, it's sweaty, and it requires great patience to get anything out of, unlike the alternatives, which are sleeping and over eating. Still, I love it. Not just because I'm going to be the sexiest man on campus next year, but because it's a great time to reconnect with God. It's become a daily staple for me, something I crave on my weekend rests, something I get hungry for.

All of that is going somewhere, but put it on hold for a few minutes. Paul writes about the man he wants to be, and the man he is, about how he is caught between who God wants him to be and who his sinful nature wants him to be. Tonight while running, I considered this, the nature of sin, and the nature of humans.

I have come to a revelation, one that I believe is actually from God. God created us. God made us. And whatever we have become, God had something else in mind, something better. Does that jump out at anyone else? In our inception, in the moment of our creation, we were not created to succumb to sin and to fall from the love of God, we were created to revel in God, to live in his presence and to live for him. It is very true that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but consider that! We are not sinners trying to change our ways, we are saints trying to reclaim our identity!

The point to be made tonight is subtle but oh so important. Whether it is when dealing with yourself, or when sharing the gospel to others, the thing to remember is this: The goal of Christianity, of life, is not to change ourselves, it's to remember who we are. We are not monsters learning to be good, we are saints trying to recover our lost heritage, we are the lost children of God trying to return to the home we've forgotten.

I could go on and on about the implications of this, but there's no time for that. Maybe that could be more blogs for more days, but tonight, consider this: Who does God want you to be? Who did he have in mind when he made you? I've spent the last few years trying to seek out the man that God has in mind for me to be, and it's been an uphill battle, but by his grace I discover myself a little more every day. God has great plans for you, don't waste time changing and reshaping yourself, get to work on rediscovering yourself and the God that made you perfect, who loves you perfectly.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

(jake)