Pastor Matt's sermon tonight was about Luke 18:15-17 where the disciples were rebuking people for bringing small children to Him. He told them that whoever doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it. Then Matt went on to explain how we do that. He started with the opposite of his topic by explaining what kind of people we are when we are apart from Christ. We're slaves to sin (Rom6:20), blind to the glory of the gospel (2 Cor 4:4), walking in darkness (Ps 82:5), dead in our transgressions (Eph 2:1) and can do nothing to fix it (John 15:5). He gave the example of a newborn and how they cry out for all their needs. That's what we're supposed to do.
Then Matt goes on to say how children are defined by their parents. That means that children are protected, provided for and saved by their parents. As Christians we are defined by Christ. We take lots of other stuff and try to define ourselves by it. I started listing some of the examples Matt gave:
My career does not define me.
My things do not define me.
Money does not define me.
My things do not define me.
Money does not define me.
I didn't have really any problem with any of those because truly, they don't define me. I don't care so much about money or things. (I mean, of course I like having them, but they've never been that important to me. Money and things do not give me happiness. Did you ever do that 5 love languages thing? Bottom of my list is gifts. I think this comes a little bit from my parents because they would give me so much like they were rewarding me since my brother was so screwed up. I don't feel loved just because you give me something. Anyway - I'm getting off topic. I do that a lot - have you noticed?)
I'm sure this has happened to you. You're sitting through a service, really enjoying it. The things being said make a lot of sense to you, but nothing is making a deep impact. Then POW, a sentence hits you between the eyes. Matt's next example was:
My relationships don't define me.
What a second. That one was a little harder to write down. It made me pause for a second. I think I do have some issues with that one . I then wrote below it:
My singleness doesn't define me.
My divorce doesn't define me.
My divorce doesn't define me.
When I'm asked to describe myself, I say that I'm a single mom who has been divorced for a little over 5 years. Is that what defines me? The fact that I'm divorced and single? No!
God help me to turn that definition around. Christ defines me. That's it. He alone.
1 comment:
That's really an interesting post, Erin. If I were asked to describe you, I think of your generosity and senserity and your kindness. Your faith, your devotion to your daughter and your authenticity.
I don't think of you as "single" or "divorced", I think of you as Erin, one of my oldest and dearest friends.
Wow, this was a big one! I think it's always difficult to describe YOURSELF apart from aspects of your life, because if you did, you would have to say some nice things (constructive things, too) about yourself and that is difficult to do.
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