It has been a busy few weeks for me! As I finish one semester, there seems to be another right behind it, then of course there is travels and the general day to day that life brings. I know I have been MIA for a bit, but hopefully my schedule will be back to normal. All the hectic nature of the past few weeks, has allowed me to reflect on my life and what is driving me. If you have read my blog for a while now, you will know that I have a heart for people. I want people to know that there is a seat at the table for them, and I would love to be a friend at your table.
That’s the way I look at ministry, I want everyone to know who God has created them to be and help them remember who they are.
We have a God that loves us more than we can imagine, so much so, that He sent His son to die for us and raise to life again in order to bridge the gap of sin in our lives. He invites us into a relationship with Him. It’s a free choice, a choice to have a seat at the table where He is waiting for you. We are all uniquely made, with passions and talents that are placed in us.
We are made in the image of God, meaning that we are loved and called worthy by our creator.
Identity is something I have struggled with for a long time. Growing up, I just wanted everyone to like me, so I shifted my personality based on what I thought others wanted. I wanted to fit in because I didn’t want to be alone. Then as I grew up, I kept trying to be what others wanted, but the idea others have of me is never something I can live up to, because that is not my authentic self.
I still face this challenge, trying to be who others want me to be, but the truth is, I need to be who God has created me to be. I need to remember who I am.
There are a couple challenges in remembering who we are, the enemy doesn’t want us to live in confidence of our gifting, because when we do, we step into the great calling over our lives.
The first challenge is that changing into who you are is uncomfortable. Change requires us to push ourselves, you cannot grow into who God has created you to be in your comfort zone. In my life, this meant trying new things, public speaking intimidated me, and now that I have pushed myself, I love it. Had I stayed in my comfort zone, I never would have discovered a passion inside of me. What do you need to push yourself to do, in order to grow?
The other big challenge hits home for me, you cannot allow the expectations of others to control the direction of your life. Now, this is not me saying you should never listen to wisdom, the issue is that there can be people in our lives who only know a version of you that is cemented in their mind. I grew up in a church, from high school, to college, and young adulthood I was there. I knew the passions God was uncovering in me as I matured, maturity is something we all go through and what a blessing it is in our lives. The issue was, as a young adult, people often viewed me as the person I was in high school or college.
It was hard.
Hard, because my growing desire of ministry was not seen as valid by people I knew. I even still get questions about if ministry is still something I want to do. Even as I am a over a year through my Masters in Divinity program, people still don’t realize that I am in pursuit of this calling.
This isn’t to harp on those people, time moves on, and we can’t keep up with everyone we’ve ever met, what I am saying is that we cannot shift to be who others believe we are.
You need to remember who you are, and that is a child of God who is designed with purpose and worthy of love.
I struggle with my identity and the thoughts that I am unworthy. The thing I remember is this, that as I grow closer to God, I remember who I am. There is a great moment in scripture, where Jesus addresses this kind of worry, the fear of being unworthy. Luke 12:24 says, “Think about the ravens. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t have any barns at all. But God feeds them. You are worth much more than birds!” God desires a relationship with you, because you are His most prized creation. If He can take care of something small and simple like a bird, He can do mighty things for you.
I’ll leave you with this today, remember who you are. Know that God loves you more than anything, so much, that He sent His son to die for you. Jesus didn’t stay dead, he rose again on the third day, death was defeated and a bridge was made to have a relationship with you.
Remember who you are, because there is a seat at the table with your name on it.
-Joshua Thomas
About the Author: Joshua Thomas is a writer by day and superhero by night. When he’s not writing and crimefighting, you can find him reading a good book, sipping warm tea, taking pictures, or dreaming. The young writer doesn’t fully know what he’s doing, but is enjoying the journey of it all. You can follow his hipster photos and Jack Kerouac musings on Instagram @joshua_thomas__
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