Father, May I? – Seen – May 29th

Father, May I Be?
May 29, 2021

Seen

Colossians 3 (a portion) – The Message
‘So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from His perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life now. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.’
‘Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with His label on it. All the old fashions are obsolete…From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.’ ‘So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and as completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic all-purpose garment. Never be without it.’

Life is cryptic. At best. Its demands can seem overwhelming. Other people’s demands of us also can add so many layers to the ones we already place on ourselves. It makes me realize how challenging it is to simply ‘be’.

But our Father, our Creator, did not design you or me to live under a leaden gavel being wielded by others. We are conceived in the mind of our Father for His good purpose. His plan all along has been a rescue mission to set us free from the requirements of this world and those around us. Now, that doesn’t mean we get to escape the basics of humanity. We still have to do right by others and live by a code of ethics and decency but there is a newsflash that offers freedom and relief. I can simply breathe and be. He is the God Who sees me! Sometimes I find myself so driven, like I have self-induced this performance track. In my own mind I have nominated myself for an award and everything I do is on some imaginary stage where everyone is watching and placing votes, and suddenly, earth to Michelle, it’s just a social media page where no one really even knows my name and what long-term benefit or consequence does it have anyway? Yet it was controlling my focus and my behavior. What a poor portrayal and presentation of myself I just performed, and for what purpose?

Relax, I hear His voice encourage; just be. We truly can take a deep breath. We can breathe, and we can be. It’s being let off the proverbial hook. I think we might even find that the more we try to be something we are not, the more likely we are to find frustration and stress and pressure. It makes me think of Mary and Martha. I have always been a Martha, too busy tying up all the loose ends and tidying up the stray pieces, making sure everything that has a place is placed. I never considered Mary; in fact, I would have been Martha, exasperated by Mary for not pitching in and helping out. But Jesus calls us to ‘be’ Mary; to sit at His feet and ‘be’ in His presence. While Martha made things happen and cared for the needs of her family and friends, and served Jesus, it doesn’t seem quite right to consider that was a ‘be’-trayal of what Jesus wanted most. What He desired most was her heart, her attentiveness, her ‘be’ing still in His presence, like Mary.

So, while you are dressing the part for your most important life, this wonderful life that you only get one of, where you get to show up and ‘be’ you, remember you can outfit yourself in Him, brand yourself in His label, put on His designer wardrobe of love, peace, grace, kindness, humility, to name a few; ‘be’ who He has called you to be. There is no one like you, never has been and never will be—only one you—and He wants you to ‘be’ comfortable being who He purposed you to be, a princess or a prince, a child of a King!

I want to know the Father’s opinion about everything!
Won’t you JOURNEY with me this month as we ask our Father, ‘MAY I?’’