Genesis 1:27: Identity: When The Puzzle Pieces Do Not Fit

   So God created mankind in his own image,

    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:27

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Before you continue read, watch this video first!

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"...So, stop saying that you’re dirt, stop saying you’re scum of the earth. You ought to be careful about, how you talk about someone else’s work. Because if you have trusted in Jesus man, you can stop saying you are filthy. All that is anyways is just pride, clothed, and false humility. I mean if only we believe that we truthfully are created in his likeness, then we’d stop saying we are messed up, guilty, wretched, filthy, but instead knowing if we trusted Jesus we are righteous.
I mean, don’t you know you are drawn to repentance because of his kindness, so how dare you call yourself worthless when he says you are priceless. But see the best part about God, is that since God is ultimately for God, he’ll get glory out of you, whether you like it or not, because even temple ruins point to you an architect even if the temple is shot. And, all I am saying is that he is behind it all, so why do we insist on giving him no glory at all...."[Jefferson Bethke]

     I love, love, LOVE this video! Jefferson Bethke is an amazing spoken word poet and has a way with words that is unmatchable. I decided that I was going to doing a series on blogs on the topic of Identity, it is something that we all struggle with and is a universal topic that cover all ages, genders and social classes. At one time of another we have or do struggle with who we are, how do we identify ourselves and make ourselves stand out in this great big world. Who we are not only affects ourselves but those around us. As we go out into the world we are bombarded with images from the media about how we should look, dress, the ideal weight, how attractive we should be. We struggle with making enough money, having enough popularity, even being "the perfect Christian". We go through life preaching brokenness and redemption yet have troubles confessing sins to each other that we have sinned and read repentance. How we were created plays a huge role in how we identity ourselves and Genesis 1:27 points us to an amazing, wonderful and powerful truth: we were not formed in the image or the world!
     How often have we struggled with trying to fit in? Always trying to buy the newest clothes, get the latest fan pop cultures, tried to fit the image that the world tells us we should have? As hard as we try we are never happy with the image that we come up with, sure we may "look good" right there but deeper down something is missing. Its like trying to fit a puzzle piece into a spot where it doesn't belong, sure are first glances it looks like it fits there but upon closer inspection it reveals to forced into a spot that dose not fit the rest of the plan. Genesis tells us one of the most important truths in the old testament: "God created man in his own image...". Let me repeat that: GOD created YOU...ME...in HIS own image! The reason that we do not beautiful in the image that the world created for us is that its not the image we were created in! The image that the world has created is based of a world sin and lies, tell us that we will never be enough and we always need to strive to change who we are to fit a certain ideal. Yet we see time and time again throughout the Bible where God tells us that we are more then enough for Him! We are His children, children that he hand created in his own image and likeness.
      As we read through the Creation story we see that God spoke everything into existence except one thing: Us. Genesis 2:7 states: "Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being". Can you image how crazy that would have been to watch! God formed man with His own hands, in His image and breathed life into Him! We miss something here somethings, we just read through the creation story so quickly and pass up the second most important truth in the creation of man! Genesis 2:7 says that he breathed life into Man. Gods presences entered into man when he created him! When sin entered the world he created a separation between us and God but helps explain to us why deep down we all have that longing to either know more about "A God" or fight the existences of one. When we give our lives to Christ the Holy Spirits enters into us and lives inside of us giving us that connection that we once shared when God created man.
     These two truths: We are created in Gods image and God breathed life into Man help us to show where we gain our true identity. We as individuals are created in God own image and have the spirit of God rooted inside of us. When we give our lives to Christ the Holy Spirit enters into us and we have that re-connection with God. I love what Jefferson Bethke has to say about this topic in the video posted up top. Its an amazing reminder just how special and unique we truly are. One of my favorite lines from the poem is: Watch "what you say about somebody else work" and "All that is anyways is just pride, clothed, and false humility" . God created each and everyone specifically to his plan. When we stand in front of the mirror and belittle ourselves we are saying that God's creations are flawed. When we say that we are not as "spiritual" as the next person that Gods spirit has weak points. When we begin to claim that Gods creation is flawed then it stats that the Creator is flawed and that is far from the truth! Exodus 15:11 reads: "Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you-- majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?"
    We need to stop trying to change the image we were created in to please the images of the world. We need to lay aside the selfish ambitions of pleasing man and begin to live freely in the image that God created us in. You were created in God's own image, formed in his likeness and God has breathed life into you. When we begin to realize that our identity is not that of the world and that of God it will begin to free you up from and allow you to live happily in the world that tells you that you are not good enough, attractive enough. We have the truth in our lives that we are Created in God's own image and likeness and that is the identity we need to present to the world.     

Luke 5:12-16: The Beginning of a New Identity

12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.[b] When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”And immediately the leprosy left him.

14 Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

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      I love what I do, and sometimes can go over the top. I have never been one to just take the basic way out of doing things. If its not crazy Family Fun Nights, its re-inventing the wheel at work. As time progresses I am starting to realize the places and activties that we spend the most time at in our lives begin to form who are are as individuals. These life events begin to change our personalitiies, our views of life, our morals and our manorisims. As much as you try to mend the two lifes together it is quite the feat to try to be the same person you are at Church that you are at work, school or wherever life may be taking you. The individuals we surround ourselves begin to slowly over time change how was act, wether fo the postive or the negative. Not only that but older we get the more that we put on our plates, we get families, bills, aspirations and dreams and our time slowly begins to deplete.  And as I get older I am growing into ME...Robert Thomas Brenden (Conformation name haha) Bobalik. I am a: 24, 6'1, brown hairs, causcian male, Starbucks Shift Supervisor, Children's Ministry Leader, and now Game Stop Game Advisor, Cousin, Brother, Son, Montor, Boyfriend, Best Friend, Stranger. I am broken, falling, defeated, sinful, unworthy, hurt, crushed, depresssed, hopeless wreck. And you might be thinking...well that took a huge left turn...and most would respond "No, No Robert you are a great guy, dont beat yourself up." and many would have the courage to actually agree with my. But I wont life, I am not sure I would have the courage to agree with you either. But there is a bright side...that is who I once was, it is a old life that was laid down at the ground of cross four short years ago. I once was broken but now I am made new. I once was falling but am now being help in the palm of the almighty God. I was once defeated but I am made new in Christ Jesus who is the ultimate victor. All the things I once dead and I am born a new and SHOULD have a new identity in Christ. And that is where the issue of identity comes into play...     

     Ministry and work are not evil, they are not un-godly, and they are not sinful yet at times without even realize it become our spirutal demise. Often times be get so wrapped up in life that we begin to minimize our time more and more to a few minutes at the begining or the end of the day. For myself over the last year I can honestly confess that my time with work and ministry has taken away from God. I have began to place these activities on a alter in my life. They without realization have become idols in my own life. I have stopped running after God and starting running toward a promotion and toward new and fresh ideas to get the kids to fall in love with a Savior that I myself struggle with spending time with. I belong to a Children's Ministry forum online and a Brother in Christ posted that nobody showed up to youth group the other night and then went on to post a joke but serious from a popular movie about forcing him to have alone time with God. It took nobody showing up to pat him on the back and say "Now its time for YOU to spend some time with me". This post really hit home, it was a big wake up call....what is God going to have to do for my to realize he's saying: "Robert, I love you....why do you spend so much time with these idols when I long to spend time with you." And that is when have stopped to look at life and realized that I have let the fire grow weak, and that I have stopped pursuing the Almighty God that took this broken individual and made him alive and new! 

     In Luke we see Jesus doing ministry in one of the towns. We get an amazing image of a broken and sick individual who threw himself at the feet of the Savior and asked if willing if he would heal him. How amazing that his response is: " I am willing." HE IS WILLING!! This is a side tangent to the point I wanted to discuss in this passage but Jesus tells us that he is willing to heal us and that this mans faith in the Christ saved him and made his life new! In this passage we see Jesus doing ministry and his popularity and ministry begins to grow and yet one simple sentence is hugely important that often times get looked over: "But Jesus often withdrew to a lonely place and prayed,".  He didn't join a Bible Study, he didn't pray with his accountability partner, and he didn't pray where he could be interrupted...he went to a lonely place and prayed. Often times an action I over look and pass up. Jesus shows us that even in the busy of life wether it be the ups in life or the downs we need to step away from the creations and meet back up with the Creator. But understood that for him to be able to do ministry properly even though he was the Son of God that he needed to connect with the Father and spend time in pray away form the busy of life. A few years ago I preached on prayer but then forgot to apply what God spoke to me to my own life. If Jesus...the Son of God...spent time in Prayer then how much more do we need to follow his example. 

    I decided that I wanted to start writing about identity and that this is where I was going to start. I began talking about how our identities were formed from the people and places we surround ourselves. Since I was spending less and less time outside of God's presence I was become less Christ like and more Robert life. My identity was no longer: disciple, chosen, redeemed it was Shift Supervisor and Kids Klub leader. It is time to regain my identity as the Child of the One true King! My prayer is that The Lord would start a fire in my soul. I have the assurance that even when I fall I have a great great God to help me get back up and carry my through the storm! My challenge for you is to look at your life and the time you spend with God, have you placed idols in your life? And where is your identity? Is your identity in Christ or "Insert Name Here". Pray for me...its going to be a rough journey. 

  

The Easter Season: Clear The Stage

Clear The Stage

By: Jimmy Needham 

"Clear the stage and set the sound and lights ablaze
If that's the measure you must take to crush the idols
Jerk the pews & all the decorations, too
Until the congregations few, then have revival
Tell your friends that this is where the party ends
Until you're broken for your sins, you can't be social
Then seek the lord & wait for what he has in store
And know that great is your reward so just be hopeful

'cause you can sing all you want to
Yes, you can sing all you want to
You can sing all you want to
And still get it wrong; worship is more than a song

Take a break from all the plans that you have made
And sit at home alone and wait for god to whisper
Beg him please to open up his mouth and speak
And pray for real upon your knees until they blister
Shine the light on every corner of your life
Until the pride and lust and lies are in the open
Then read the word and put to test the things you've heard
Until your heart and soul are stirred and rocked and broken

We must not worship something that's not even worth it
Clear the stage, make some space for the one who deserves it

'cause I can sing all I want to
Yes, I can sing all I want to
I can sing all I want to
And still get it wrong
And you can sing all you want to
Yes, you can, you can sing all you want to
You can sing all you want to
And still get it wrong; worship is more than a song
Worship is more than a song
Worship is more than a song

Clear the stage and set the sound and lights ablaze
If that's the measure you must take to crush the idols"

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As lent comes to a end its forces me to realize that I did not use those 40 days to prepare for the coming of Christ. To me lent is supposed to be used for a time of preparation to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is supposed to help refocus our lives back to Christ and reposition out lives to the call we were given. It is supposed to help us weed out the idols in our lives, those things that are pulling away from God and becoming first in our lives. And as lent comes to and end I am realize that I did not use this time wisely, I was like the foolish virgins who did not prepare for Christ coming and were found without enough oil. I was so focused on trying to get promoted at work, organize events for church, leading youth group and spending time with family that I have caused even the best of intentions to become idols in my own life and am now forced to step back and ask myself the tough questions of am I living for myself or for Christ? Sometimes I think that we confuse our church work with our call and do not realize that even those actions can become idols as well. I really like the song "Clear the Stage" by Jimmy Needham, I think it gives us something to think about in each and every one of our lives. It is a powerful statement to say that you can sing all you want to and get it wrong. It is a tough realization that no matter how much "good" work you are doing that is not all that God is asking of your life and this Easter its a challenge I am giving to myself and you. 

These upcoming days are the three most important days in all of our existences. These are the day that Christ died, was buried, and defeated death and thus giving us the ability to have eternal life. Growing up in the church I think we often over look the magnitude of this powerful truth. We are able to quote the important scriptures, give our friends a uplifting verse, tell a friend what Jesus did, but then our lives do not reflect this truth that we have be given. Our knowledge has becoming simply facts we have memorized in Sunday School that are placed away in our barrel for the time when we need to fire. We begin to go through the motions of life and our lives get caught in the currents and conform to the ways of the world. We get caught up in the programs, the potlucks, the youth groups, the long work hours, the soccer games, the fast food and the time we give to God is lessened and lessened. I think that this Easter Season we need to reflect on our walk with Christ and how genuine it really is. I know that for myself that there are red flags that stand out between things like my language at work and my language at church. Is my life every where I go worth of being called a ambassador of Christ? 

It is time that we step outside of our lives, turn the music off, shut off the "inspirational videos", pause the sermons, and enter into the presences of God. It is a scare thought to be quite with the Lord. I think it is in those times that the demons begin to be rooted out and the things that we foolishly hide from God come to light and those moments scare us. It is a time to dive into scripture once again and read truly what our lives should look like. It is a time to confess our sins to God and to our brothers and sister. It is a time to be made whole again. It is a time to recommit our lives to Christ and walk with his once again. I know for me who is responsible for leading small children that I want the best for them and that practice what they see and would I be proud of my children if they copied some of my own steps and practices?

What better time is it then the Easter Season, the time that we celebrate the death and resurrection to lay our own lives down at the cross, to die once again and be born again a new. To recommit our lives to Him! I know I rambled a lot in this post but I hope I got my point across. Clear the stage: And sit at home alone and wait for god to whisper Beg him please to open up his mouth and speak And pray for real upon your knees until they blister Shine the light on every corner of your life Until the pride and lust and lies are in the open Then read the word and put to test the things you've heard Until your heart and soul are stirred and rocked and broke! That is my challenge to you. To truly meet with the Lord and pray to be broken down and join me this Easter Season in recommitting our lives to Him and his Kingdom! 

Happy Easter!