Absence of Presence

Our church is beginning to walk through the whole New Testament in 40 days. This, in my opinion, should be an amazing experience for all involved. It not only affirms those who are more versed in scripture, but also brings those who may not have had an opportunity to read the whole NT up to speed. I pray that this generates some great discussion and revelation to all those involved.

Mike King, one of our associate pastors, was setting this period of time up this Sunday. He was speaking about a ship that was funded by the US military as a troop transport. This ship was called the USS United States. The unique property of this ship was that is was massive and that is was created to be a cruise liner as well, knowing they wouldn't always need it to transport troops. So with a little paint and some engineering, they could transform this cruise liner into a massive troop transport vessel.

Although it was created to be a troop transport, the USS United States was never used for that reason. It continued to be a cruise liner until it became too outdated. It now is in a shipyard waiting to become scrap metal. The USS United States never lived out what it was created to be and eventually it was discarded... In relation, this is the potential for any person on earth. We either realize what we were created to be, or we live our lives in ways unnatural and end up in the scrapyard.

Mike brought this around with the kicking off of our study of the New Testament. What the USS United States didn't do was stay connected to what it was created to be. We as people, especially those who believe Jesus to be true, have the same task in our lives. But how often do we get distracted, or just don't know how to do that? I know I have found myself looking back on massive chunks of time and thinking to myself, "I haven't felt connected to God in soooo long..." Because that's what it's really about in the long run; staying connected to our creator.

And this was the point of Mike's discussion, and the ultimate point of reading through the New Testament. We as people become so distracted by our own lives and efforts that we often lose track of who we are and what we have been made to be. The only way we are to stay connected with these truths is to stay connected to the one who created us.

We do so much in our time here on earth to define who we are ourselves. We take other people's opinions, our experiences, our fears and victories, our lineage of family, our relationships, our likes and dislikes, etc., and construct a "This is who I am" statement. So much of that is external, though. Do we really allow outside sources define who we are on the inside? I would say most of us do. We allow this world to set us into motion, and heaven forbid we break the mold and be different!

The point in all this is that I have spent too much time allowing the world to define who I am. I have been used by the world for something I was never created to do; namely to be a consumer (more to come in another blog). But the things I buy do not define who I am. The world cannot define who I am. I only allow it to. No, my true identity is found in the one who created me, the One whom I have lost connection with recently. I have not spent time with my God in order for His truth about who I am to roll over me and wash me clean of this oppressive and wrong life I am living.

I pray and hope that this time with the New Testament not only opens our eyes to new truths about Jesus and God's character and love for us, but that it also sheds light on who we are as His beloved creation.