Be Yourself

I saw a question on facebook the other day.  I can’t quote it exactly, but it was to the effect of “If you could go someplace where no one knew you and just start over again, would you?”

Now, my answer is no.  But there was a time, not that many years ago, really, when my answer would’ve been yes.

The obvious question, then, is “What changed?”  Why is it that at one time I would like to have been able to just start all over again, but now I don’t?

Well, it’s a couple of things, and as you’ll see they’re somewhat related.  One of them is that I now love what I do.  Becoming a pastor is the best thing that ever happened to me.  That’s not to say that I hated my previous life as a lawyer, but I didn’t love it, either.  It was just something I did.  That’s probably a situation a lot of people find themselves in regarding their work—they don’t hate it, but they don’t love it, either.  It’s okay.  Could be worse.  But the thing is that when we settle for “It’s okay, could be worse”, we don’t even realize how much joy we’re missing out on.  We don’t consider the possibility that we could really love what we do, rather than having it be just okay.  But when you go from “okay” to “fantastic”, which is where I am now, you’ll never willingly go back.

The other part of it is that, as a pastor, I feel like I can truly be who I am.  I hope that doesn’t come out as bragging, because I don’t mean it to be.  What I mean is that, as a lawyer, I felt like I had to fit into a certain mold.  I had to be something that I was not, really.  But as a pastor, I can be who I truly am.  That’s not to imply that I think I’m perfect, by any means—there are all kinds of things I need to improve.  I may be who I am, but I still have to try to be the best “me” I can be.  But what I mean is that I don’t have to pretend to be someone I’m not.  I can be used by God just as I am, with my faults and my personality quirks and also, I hope, my good points.  And it’s a pretty wonderful thing to know that.

And that applies to you, too.  God does not want you to pretend to be someone you’re not.  I hope you’ll try to be the best “you” that you can be.  But you can be used by God just as you are, with your faults, with your quirks, and with your good points.  You don’t need to go somewhere and start over.  Who you are is good enough.  Who you are is a child of God.

However things may be going in your life, always remember that.  Who you are is good enough.  God can use you just as you are.  I hope for you, as it is for me, it’s a pretty wonderful thing to know that.