Os Guinness on the Sacred Call

“Thus, for followers of Christ, calling neutralizes the fundamental position of choice in modern life. “I have chosen you,” Jesus said, “you have not chosen me.” We are not our own; we have been bought with a price. We have no rights, only responsibilities. Following Christ is not our initiative, merely our response, in obedience. Nothing works better to debunk the pretensions of choice than a conviction of calling. Once we have been called, we literally “have no choice.”- Os Guinness

Selfies

Selfies. We pick the best angle of ourselves and put it on social media. Nobody posts pictures and says, “Thought I’d share some bad photos of myself, that emphasize my less desirable traits.”

John Ortberg talks about the different "Me's" we display in his book, "The Me I want to Be." I'll summarize a few of those:

• the Me I wish I could be
• the Me my parents want me to be
• the Me I'm afraid God wants me to be
• the Me I fail to be
• THE ME I WAS CREATED TO BE!

Over ten years ago when I started speaking a lot more, I had several different ME's. There was the Chuck Swindoll Me, the Rick Warren Me, the Jack Hayford Me, and "whoever I recently listened to" ME. Sometimes I still fall into that trap. 

Here's something I need to remind myself of frequently. Recently, while reading Psalm 139, I was reminded again: God created me uniquely. Only I can be ME. 

"I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" Psalm 139:14.

When is the last time you "gave thanks" for how you are made? Or are you caught in the comparison trap? 

 
Dr. Francis Collins is a leader in the study of human DNA. As the director of the Human Genome Project, he has led a collection of international scientists who set out to map out the sequence which makes up human DNA. Listen to what he says: “I have led a consortium of scientists to read out the 3.1 billion letters of the human genome, our own DNA instruction book. As a believer, I see DNA, the information molecule of all living things, as God's language, and the elegance and complexity of our own bodies and the rest of nature as a reflection of God's plan."1
 

Isn’t that true? A work of art moves us to worship. A masterpiece is a reflection of the master. A work of art an expression of the artist. Creation an expression of its creator. That’s why they award great actors for playing a role. Mickey Mouse never received an Academy Award but Disney did. Creation is an expression of the creator. 

Sometimes we miss the wonder of what's right under our noses. Literally. Like in the case of the Evansville Museum, finding a rare piece of art that had been locked in the basement for over 50 years was really valuable. “Seated woman with a red hat” sat unnoticed. Then a little over a year ago, they discovered it was a rare work of art by Picasso.[i] Now Evansville Museum said it’s too costly to keep. The auction will likely bring in millions of dollars. Why? Because it’s Picasso. The worth of something is based on its creator. 

So is it a problem when a Christian says, 

• The only time I feel good about myself is if I’m surpassing last month's sales, or
• when my son is the best player on the hockey team, or
• if my posts are being recognized on FB with a bunch of "likes"

This view of identity is exhausting. It can eventually wear you out and make the people in your life despise you because it’s based on your performance, success or your kid’s wins. When he doesn’t win he’ll feel your disapproval and he will learn that in order for you to accept him he must perform. And that’s a heavy weight on a kid. And it’s a heavy weight on your shoulders. It’s tiring. You can never rest. Because you’re looking over your shoulder. 

God offers a different kind of "selfie"...one that is based on your Creator, not what you can create.

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[i]Read More: Evansville Museum to Sell Rare Picasso Found in Storage | http://newstalk1280.com/evansville-museum-to-sell-rare-picasso-found-in-storage/?trackback=tsmclip