Showing posts with label Identity. Show all posts

The candles are lit, the table is set, the food is prepared and your hands smell like raw garlic, onions and fish. Vigorous scrubbing with hand soap won’t help, so how can you possibly remove that pungent food odor before the doorbell rings? The answer comes in the form of this 2-1/2" x 1-3/4" disk of stainless steel. Don’t ask us how, but rubbing your hands on this disk under a stream of water washes away any unwanted aromas and leaves your hands smelling like, well, hands. Best of all, you only need to buy one since they last forever!

When I see items like Chef Soap it always makes me wonder how someone figured out that this particular item worked for this particular need.  Was someone trying to find a solution to this problem or did they just happen upon it one day.  That leads me to ask why it is that I never get to find cool stuff like this.  Why is it that someone else always gets to invent or find the stuff that everyone needs or wants? 

Then I ask another penetrating question, “Does it really work?”  I look at the picture and the claims to the side and something in me wants to know whether or not it does what it says it will do.  I have the same problems that everyone else has when cooking with strong foods and this seems like the ultimate solution.

This is the question that the world is asking about God.  I wonder if he can do what his followers say he can do and if he will do what they say he will do.  This is really a question that people should be asking to, and about God himself, but since it is difficult for them to understand the possibility of a relationship with someone they cannot see, they turn to those of us that they can see; and hear; and touch.  They look to us to see if we are living our lives in view of such claims.  If we say that our God is a loving God then they want to see if we are loving people, thus they will form their opinion about the one that we follow based upon our actions. 

The whole world has the same problem.  They have been separated from God by sinful choices.  When they ask questions about whether or not God’s plan will work for their life, they are not looking for a creative marketing scheme or a salesman.  They genuinely want to know, “Will God’s way work?” and they need to be able to see it working in your life.

 

Are You A Salesman Or A Satisfied Customer?

All of us have an image of the person that we want to be. If you are a mom you have an image of how you want your children to see you, how your husband sees you in this role, how other moms view you, how your mother will view you, how your grandmother will view you, how you want the pastor to view you, etc…  If you are a dad its the same thing. You have an image of the man that you want everyone to see when they picture you in that roll. Your wife, your children, your dad, your grandfather, other dads, etc…
The problem is that sometimes there is a gap between our preferred image and who we really are. The person we put out to everyone else isn't the "real me" or the “real you.”
You and I can spend our time doing image management or character development.

   Image Management- covering up the person that we are in hopes that everyone else will believe that we are the person that we know we should be. 

    Character Development- being honest about the person that you are; and trusting God to help you become the person that you should be.

What is your response to these questions?

Are you just trying to blend in?
Are you trying to cover something up?
Are you pretending to be someone you are not?
Are you withholding half the truth?
Are you feeling guilty?

If you can answer yes to any of these questions there may be a gap between the person that you are and the person that you want everyone else to believe that you are?
Take action today to take off any masks that you might be wearing and show the “real you.”

1. Pleasure-it provides personal fulfillment and gratification
2. To express their inner thoughts
3. To express mood
4. As a form of communication
5. To provide a more welcome and suitable environment

Just yesterday I shared with you a poem by my friend Megan. Her words were just an expression of her personal walk with Christ. I hope that story has encouraged you to do the same. To create and give expression of yourself into the world around you that it might be forever changed.
What could you create with one of the motivators above. To better help you, let us look at each one in the form of a question.
What is it that brings you joy?
Perhaps you could clean out your daughter’s closet, rob the cushions from the living room couch, lay them in the closet, drape a sheet over the door way, and create a comfortable hide away that is sure to make any 6 year old smile.
What is on your mind?
Perhaps you could create a letter that expresses you opinion about what is going on in your state or national government and send it too you representative.
What are you feeling right now? What is going on in your life?
Perhaps you are feeling lonely and you need to create a friendship. Today would be a great day to pick up the phone and call or text someone and plan a fun outing.
What is it that you feel like you need say?
Perhaps you could create a video of yourself and share some favorite memories of your life to be shared with friends and family at your funeral.
Where do you spend most of your time?
Perhaps there are some things in your home or on the job that could be done to make life better for you and for others. Perhaps you could create a calm atmosphere by changing your attitude. Perhaps you could create resting place for the family by cleaning up the living room.
Have fun creating!!!