Fighting with Mirror (pt 2-The important part)

I talked a little bit in the last blog about my struggle with acceptance and the love of self. I didn’t really dive into why that is such a big deal. 

Please stick with me.

In the grand scheme of things, and by that I mean life in its entirety (spiritually, emotionally, physically, and so on), when we are worried about what others think we tend to try to move ourselves into the place where we fit what they dictate is right. We see this in marketing, a company has a product and uses marketing (in some way) to make it seem like everyone has this product so as many people as possible will purchase the product. In fact, if you don’t have the product, you wish you did and will do what you need to move yourself into a place where you can purchase the product because now the section of society that you want to fit into says that owning this product is right.

So basically, wanting to be accepted can force us (in some way) to shape ourselves into what someone else dictates is right.

Now, take this principle and apply is to spiritual matters, more precisely Christianity. As a person who grows up in church or even becomes a believer later on, it seems that Christians have somehow set up a nice, clean, explainable system to become a Christian and a very linear system in order to become sanctified (that is maturing as a Christian). The danger here is that we go down this process, following everything that those who were Christians before us tell us we should do. That in itself isn’t that bad per se, but in this process…do we seek the Christ whose name we have taken as our identity? 

I have found recently, as I read the Word, that it has been invaluable to put away all my pre-conceived notions and ask God to open Himself up to me, to reveal Himself to me. Remember the only acceptance we must be seeking is His. God had people do crazy, insane, and irrational things throughout the Bible and yet if we hear that a Christian feels called to do something out of the ordinary…how do we respond? Do we rule out the possibility that they have heard from God before they even get the chance to talk to us about it? 

I wonder how many blessings we may remove ourselves from because we have been very worried about being accepted by a system of man rather than the voice of God. I, for one, refuse to be afraid any longer…if I am called to be crazy…so be it…for His glory.