Be Somebody

I feel a million miles away
Still you connect me in your way
And you created me
Something I would have never seen

When I could only see the floor
You made my window a door
So when they say they don't believe
I hope that they see you in me

After all the lights go down
I'm just the words, you are the sound
A strange type of chemistry
You become a part of me
And when I sit alone at night
Your thoughts run through me like a fire
You're the only one who knows
Who I really am

We all wanna be somebody
We just need a taste of who we are
We all wanna be somebody
We're willing to go but not that far

***

The song "Be Somebody" by Thousand Foot Krutch (of which the above is an excerpt) popped up on my phone today, and the lyrics resonated with me in a new way. I think it was in response to a sermon by Louie Giglio that I watched at a small group Bible study. I shall make a modest attempt to synthesize the TFK song and the Louie Giglio sermon in the next few paragraphs.

The focus of the sermon was Romans chapter 8. One of the main foci of both the chapter and the sermon was the passage about our adoption as children of God.

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" ~ Romans 8:15

 That is a wonderful sentiment! We are children of God! It's amazing that such lowly and fallen creatures such as ourselves should be transformed into holy children of God. It certainly is not of our own power or merit (And you created me/ Something I would have never seen). Our lives are no longer our own; God's Spirit now dwells in us (You become a part of me). Since we are now children of God, we represent Him with our lives to the world around us (I hope that they see you in me). There is tremendous opportunity, blessing, and responsibility with this new identity.

And yet so often I fail to remember who I truly am. I live my life like every other person. Sure, I try to live a good and decent life, do no harm to others, and make something of myself, but I don't truly grasp the power and blessing that comes with being a son of God. If I stop to ponder it for just a minute, I get overwhelmed. We just need a taste of who we are to motivate us to have a greater impact on those around us. And yet something holds me back. We're willing to go but not that far. In order to tap into who I really am, I have to truly imitate Christ, and that is truly hard.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. ~ Romans 8:16-17

Jesus lived a life that changed people's lives, transformed their hearts, and shattered the status quo, yet it was also a life of intense spiritual discipline, persecution, public humiliation, and constant devotion to the will of the Father. Too often I am not prepared to fast the latter things even if it means I lose hold of the former. Until I can fully commit to living like Jesus, I will not have a true grasp on my identity as a son of God.

The journey is one step at a time. We all want to be somebody. We already are, if we have been adopted as children of God. May this be the year where we all go that far to achieve the fullness of our identities, discipline, persecution, and all.

It's Hard to be Grown Up

It's only January 4, and already my New Year's Resolutions are getting shaky. Today is the first day since the 1st that I am performing the three activities I said I would (playing piano, blogging more, and writing my book). All three of those activities are fun, but they take work, and work is hard. It's much easier to just read or watch a movie or play video games or hang out with friends. Those things are all fine, but they are easy. Sometimes doing the hard things is better.

I suppose that's a good life principle in general. The path of least resistance is so natural but it rarely leads to improvement. The best things in life often come from hard work. Sometimes we have to do certain unpleasant but necessary things before we can get on to fun things. Schoolwork comes before video games; mowing the grass comes before softball; washing the dishes comes before movie night. But the things I'm talking about are not unpleasant as much as they are just plain hard. Consuming someone else's brilliant writing is easy and fun; trying to write your own brilliant (or at least mildly competent and interesting) work is fun but much more difficult. Listening to beautiful music is fun and easy; learning to play beautiful music is fun but much more difficult. And there is something in the human psyche that shies away from the difficult.

The difficult is unnatural. Being responsible and conscientious and "grown-up" are all unnatural. But they are critical to the development of self-discipline. Self-discipline is the key to doing difficult things, and the difficult things are often things worth doing, in some part because they reinforce self-discipline. So that is my new challenge for this year. As I move on from being a student to being a teacher and from being a youth to being a youth pastor, it is time to further cultivate self-discipline. I guess the best place to start is by doing difficult things. Who wants to join me?

New Beginnings

My first post of 2013 is somewhat nostalgic. But it also looks forward to what may come. Such is the path of all humans in a time of transition. 2013 is certainly that year for me. After 4 1/2 years (5 1/2 if you count the time at Rosedale Bible College), I finally completed my undergraduate work at Millersville University and graduated on December 16, 2012. So 2013 will prove to be my first year without any college courses to occupy the majority of my time and energy. Instead I can concentrate on finally accumulating some net worth by working regularly. Ideally I will also have time for other pursuits (hence my New Year's Resolutions involving blogging, writing, and piano). However, as I look back on my college years, I remember with fondness the many things I learned, the experiences I had, and the people I met and grew to love. I will cherish those memories, but I do not want to go back. It is time to move on with "real life," time to grow up and begin to fulfill God's plan for my life.

Part of God's plan for my life at this time seems to be fulfilling the role of Youth Pastor at my church. Such a role is one I have often envisioned myself in, but I must confess that taking such a responsibility at the age of 24 (almost) is somewhat daunting. I am excited to see what God will do through me, but I am also aware of the great responsibility and accountability that goes along with the role. I am reminded constantly that I am no longer just "one of the guys" in youth group but that I must set an example in faith and maturity for the younger generation. It is time for me to help the current youth group to be a place of growth, learning, and community that I experienced. Part of the role involves working with other Ministry Leaders in the congregation (my father included) to provide vision and leadership in the church as a whole. That group should prove to help guide me along the way, and I'm excited to see where God takes Millport under this new structure.

2013 is certainly a year of transition. I look back with fondness on the past, and I eagerly await the changes in the future. But I must remember that the present is all that I have control over. In the words of C. S. Lewis, the present is where the eternal "now" touches time; the present is where we experience God and where we connect with other people. The past is important as a memorial, and the future is important as a hope, but the present is where my efforts must lie. Day by day, I deepen my walk with God, strive for personal growth, and find ways to change the world one life at a time. Each day is all we have until God provides another. May we all make the best use of the precious gift of the present.