Preference

"That's really the battle. We're afraid God will make us into something, someone, we don't want to be. No, He knows us."

WHAT FEELS LIKE a lot of rules, "dos and don'ts," is supposed to make us into God's image. So we adapt to it, we change ourselves to do better, to react well.

But I find myself asking, What does God want? Who does He want to interact with? Because this isn't simply a servant showing a false front to the King. God knows our every thought and intent. He knows what we will say before we say it. And the truth is, He wants us to be ourselves.

We, in the church, are all about the fear of the Lord, and that's a good thing, but not when it makes us feel fake. If we're talking to Him and our thoughts and mannerisms are different from what we are saying, then we become a lie.

"But, Suzanne, what if I don't want to be who He has designed?"

I get this actually. Years ago, I said, out loud, The Bible was boring. Now, was that me? Yes, at the time. But it wasn't who He needed me to be. We are running a race, Paul says, and must keep running. He opted to stay on earth, to live longer, to benefit those he pastored.

We must determine to become closer to Him. That's really the key. Not some fake change and false behavior, but we press into God, and what we didn't like about serving God, we soon do. What we wouldn't have done for probably a carnal reason, is now our preference, and He made the change, and here's the biggie, we like the new me. That's really the battle. We're afraid God will make us into something, someone, we don't want to be. No, He knows us. He makes us into the best us. I'm not who I was, and I'm not who I'm going to be. Like Peter who went from a fisherman to an outspoken fly-by-night disciple, to the voice at Pentecost, I have changed and am still changing. Because like Peter, somewhere in his walking on water, God saw someone terrific, and I want to be her, strong in God, full of His love, and overflowing with His presence because I know Him and He's that close to me.

“When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:” (Luke 5:8-9)

“But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:” (Acts 2:14)

Listen to “Preference” by Rachel Morley.

Photo by Eye for Ebony on Unsplash


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com