Lately I have been struggling with the labels (names) that others want to place upon me. For the purpose of this musing, it doesn't really matter what they are, it is really more about the way I FEEL when they are placed upon me. I have wrestled with this subject, with God and with myself for a while now, and I think I have finally come to a conclusion. And I think the fact of the matter is that what I have concluded is probably true across the board for most people.
Labels (names) can be scary.
Labels (names) can be scary for a variety of reasons. You may be afraid of what someone else thinks of you when they label you with a specific name. You may be afraid of what you think of yourself when you paste that label on you. And let's face it - I think we may ALL be scared of what God really means by the label or name by which He calls you.
Here's the thing though. Any name (or label) that is placed upon you that relates to what God is doing in your life, is going to be one that is weighty, not to be taken lightly and should come with a warning label that says "Caution, accepting this name can and probably will bring you into dangerous situations and you should be prepared to be in battle with the enemy of your soul when you say, Here I am Lord to the calling He has placed on your life." I am sure a lawyer could do better with the legalese for this disclaimer, but you get the point.
To be known by a label or job description sets people's expectations in motion. They expect you to act a certain way, do a certain thing, think in a certain way. And most certainly, you will fail them in some way - because you are human.
That is why I struggle with the "Here I am Lord", and "no don't pick me for that"! The heaviness of the calling ON TOP OF other peoples expectations is too much to bear. I fear, therefore I don't want to be called...
I have decided that from now on, I simply want to be known as a "certain disciple". Not anything special, not anything extraordinary, just a simple follower of Jesus who is ready and willing at a moments notice to do anything and everything that He is calling me to do. A certain disciple, it has a nice, anonymous ring to it. One that I am quite sure I can wear just fine.
Labels (names) can be scary.
Labels (names) can be scary for a variety of reasons. You may be afraid of what someone else thinks of you when they label you with a specific name. You may be afraid of what you think of yourself when you paste that label on you. And let's face it - I think we may ALL be scared of what God really means by the label or name by which He calls you.
Here's the thing though. Any name (or label) that is placed upon you that relates to what God is doing in your life, is going to be one that is weighty, not to be taken lightly and should come with a warning label that says "Caution, accepting this name can and probably will bring you into dangerous situations and you should be prepared to be in battle with the enemy of your soul when you say, Here I am Lord to the calling He has placed on your life." I am sure a lawyer could do better with the legalese for this disclaimer, but you get the point.
To be known by a label or job description sets people's expectations in motion. They expect you to act a certain way, do a certain thing, think in a certain way. And most certainly, you will fail them in some way - because you are human.
That is why I struggle with the "Here I am Lord", and "no don't pick me for that"! The heaviness of the calling ON TOP OF other peoples expectations is too much to bear. I fear, therefore I don't want to be called...
I have decided that from now on, I simply want to be known as a "certain disciple". Not anything special, not anything extraordinary, just a simple follower of Jesus who is ready and willing at a moments notice to do anything and everything that He is calling me to do. A certain disciple, it has a nice, anonymous ring to it. One that I am quite sure I can wear just fine.
No comments:
Post a Comment