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.