Multiple Personalities

One of the interesting things I've read in all my study of the Millennial generation is the idea that they can comfortably live with multiple personalities. You can be one person with friends, one on Facebook, and another at work or at home. Personality is fluid, and one adapts to one's surroundings. Like being a human chameleon. I have to admit, it's one aspect of the generation I do not understand. I'm trying.

One thing I know, however, is that doing this in one's spiritual life is not confined to any generation. It's too often the default in Christian life.

I'll be a Christian at church.But at work? Well, there are decisions that have to be made there. Sometimes they can't be made with all that love and honesty stuff. That's real life.

With friends? I try, but sometimes, they need me to go along. Do what they want to do. Agree with what they believe. It makes everyone happier.

In politics? Hey, I know Jesus said to love my neighbor. But we have to protect ourselves. And I have a right to say what I want to say, regardless of those other idiots.

Problem: If I am created in the image of God, that's who I am at my core. Portraying that image full time was put into my being from the beginning. It's what was placed in my heart as my purpose for existing. If I'm trying to do that gig part time? No wonder I'm confused.

It's like trying to split an atom. We all know what happens when matter is split at its very core. Explosion. Big explosion.

Why do we think it will be any different when we try to split our being into “here I'll be God's person” and “here I'll be something else”?

If I'm fighting who I am at my core, no wonder I can't commit to being or doing anything long term. No wonder I can't reach, or even figure out, my goals. No wonder I have no idea what I truly want. I have tried to take apart who I am. And what I'm left with is a messy explosion.

Imagine telling my daughters, “You know, I'm just not feeling the mom thing today. Can I take a break from that and maybe come back sometime later?” Now, I know that occasionally, all moms want to do that. But however we are tempted, it will not change the facts. We are moms. We will still have that relationship, even if we check out of it. It just will be really messed up.

We can't show up to work as we feel the spirit. We can't be someone's child every other Tuesday. We can't be a real friend only after 8pm.

We can't be a real image of God because we press 'like' and 'share' for a picture of Jesus, then go back to gossiping about or downright insulting other people.

Whole People

We need to be whole people. Only whole people really know who they are. Only whole people can sleep at night without the conflict of knowing they were not who they believed themselves to be that day.

Not that we are always what we want to be. There are cringeworthy moments in everyone's day. But when we seek to be one, whole person in all situations? We're a lot more likely to act consistently. It's just easier. Less to remember, which, for me, is a huge incentive right there.

Image of God. Ambassador of God. Friend of God. Child of God. I am all those things. Trying to be some of those things some of the time? Big, explosive mess.

Trying, however imperfectly and slowly, to be that in all places, with all people, at all times? Big, cool breeze of relief. The pieces come together. The purpose appears clearer. When we're being who we were meant to be, through and through from our core out, that's peace. 

Am I Okay, God? Devotionals from the Seventh Dimension

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

—Romans 8:37-39

Have you ever asked, am I okay? If so, you aren’t alone. I have asked myself that question many times.

Memories still haunt me of bullying by others who accused me of many things. When I was young, I struggled not to believe the lies even when I knew they weren’t true. I blamed myself—the only way I knew how to make sense of the accusations.

*~*~*~*~*~*

From Seventh Dimension – The Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy:

Was the man possessed by demons? Were there underlings roaming the earth looking for an unfortunate victim? The anguished soul stood still for the first time in front of the fisherman, captivated by the king’s eyes.

From off the lake, a breeze stirred, slowly at first and then gaining momentum. Like onion skin, vaporous creatures peeled from the madman, coming out of his brain. The swirling wind tore at the naked and exposed shape shifters. The black, formless creatures were like bats without bodies.

The dark beings smelled rancid and the awful odor settled over everything. The demons cowered submissively before the king. The creatures hissed and screeched and made fools of themselves. The fearful pig herders withdrew a safe distance.

The king asked, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” one of the demons replied, “for we are many.”

The king’s power and authority over the spirits was omnipotent. The underlings knew him. They knew the king. The muscles in my shoulders tensed and my legs twitched. Much-Afraid hid her face under my arm.

The demons begged, “Please, do not send us out of the area.” They pointed to the pigs. “Send us among the pigs. Allow us to go into them.”

At the king’s command, they fled from the man and entered the herd. Their formless bodies slid inside the pigs. I shuddered. The pigs shook violently. The herd, numbering in the thousands, stampeded down the steep bank and headed straight into the lake.

The herdsmen watched their valuable livestock disappear and shouted accusations at the king. “By whose authority did you drown our herd?” They flailed their arms at the fishermen and the shepherds traipsed back up the field resolute for answers. “Who is this man that sends pigs into the lake? By what authority does he do such things?” They continued to argue among themselves.

At first, Cherios, Lowly, Much-Afraid and I were too stunned to speak. Cherios spoke first. “Lowly, that is the king, the king of the garden. He’s here. The king is here among us.”

—Shale Snyder; Cherios, the rabbit; Lowly, the pig; and Much-Afraid, the dog; chapter twenty-two

*~*~*~*~*~*

As a teenager and even into early adulthood, I believed everyone was more athletic, talented, and smarter than me. Had I missed the blessings that my friends had received? I wasn’t able to see my value or worth.

There’s a difference, however, between feeling flawed and being a sinner. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ, the king in Seventh Dimension – The Door, did not come to condemn the world, but to save it.

I grew up in a non-Christian home and did not know Jesus Christ. My first introduction to him was in the 1961 Hollywood movie King of Kings. I was drawn to Jesus for one reason: his love for the people with whom he came into contact.

I did not feel loved for many years. I think we all suffer from feelings of worthlessness and lack of validation. We live in a fallen world where no one loves perfectly except Jesus Christ. And even though he was perfect and sinless, many still rejected him.

If people can reject the Son of God, who was sinless, how much more can we feel rejected by others who are imperfect?

While it’s true you’re a sinner, that doesn’t make you a bad person. It means you need a Savior. You’re created in the image of God and that makes you more than okay. You’re wonderfully made. You were bought with a price—Jesus Christ died for you.

You’re loved more than you will ever know. God loves you more than your parents, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your brother, your sister, your spouse—even your dog.

You cannot do or say anything that will make God love you more. You cannot do or say anything that will make God love you less. His nature is unchanging. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

I hope to show you in this short devotional book, Am I Okay, God? Devotionals from the Seventh Dimension, you’re more than okay. You’re loved by a perfect God.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin separated them from their heavenly father. Sin entered the world. Until then, perfection was all Adam and Eve had known, including perfect communion with God in the garden. The first sin created a chasm between God and man. Decay began and has continued to this day.

God banished Adam and Eve from the garden. The price for their disobedience and for everyone born after them was eternal punishment.

Ever since the first sin in the garden, Satan has accused and tormented God’s people. The condemnation you feel does not come from God.

In the above excerpt, Jesus performed an exorcism on the demon-possessed man. The naked demons entered the pigs looking for a “home” to possess. Jesus then drowned the pigs and the demons in the lake. The demons had tormented the man relentlessly for years—until Jesus set the man free.

*~*~*~*

Thank you, Jesus, that you have given me life. Let nothing separate me from your love. Let this day be the first day of the rest of my life—the day I receive your unconditional love and no longer believe the untrue things people say.

To learn more about Lorilyn Roberts Seventh Dimension Series Books, please visit http://LorilynRoberts.com

Four Questions To Ask the Voices in (and Outside of) Your Head

This summer, three of us girls had our own version of manic Mondays. It was the “last hurrah” of a mom and two daughters before the final one left the nest. 

One of those took us on the train to downtown Chicago, always a good place to encounter the unexpected. While sitting down to rest, I noticed something odd about the two young men we had just passed. They left the corner they had been standing on to sit down about ten feet to our right. Then, one of them picked up his things, crossed before us, and sat down about ten feet to our left, nodding to his friend and looking over us.

Mom radar beats NORAD every time. Very quietly, I said to the girls, “We have to go. Now.” Without hesitation or question, they got up, and we stepped quickly to our destination. End of questionable scene.

I would like to say that in all their 18 and 22 years that has always been the response of my children. Instant, unquestioning obedience. I would also like to say that I am on the short list for the next Pulitzer Prize in Literature. There would be equal validity in both statements. So why the compliance then? Because they knew the serious mom voice. And they knew to follow it.

We've been talking for several weeks now about identity. Who ar we? Who were we born to be? Today, let's turn a corner and talk about a new question. 

Why are we not being that?

Here's a recap in case you're joining the story now.

We are people created in God's image to enact his character, cast his vision, and work under his authority to release His kingdom around us. Part of that character is absolute respect for his image in others and in ourselves. 

But what makes that so hard to put into practice? Why do we wake up ready to “be all that we can be,” only to go to bed wondering what the heck we were?

(OK, full disclosure. I never wake up ready to be anything. It requires a full hour at least and one cup of Earl Grey before that is even thinkable. But some of you manage it. Kudus to you.) 

Why don't we hear the voice of our parent every day and instantly follow? What keeps us from hearing the voice of God and saying, I know that voice. I love that voice. I trust that voice. I'll follow that voice? What about understanding our identity as images of God would take down our barriers to living out that identity with purpose and passion in this world?

Well first, I think we need to be able to recognize the voice.

Four years ago, we spent six weeks riding the rails of Europe. (Yes, we like trains. Trains are cool.) Usually, it was a blast. Sometimes, it was a confusing mess. You haven't lived crazy until you've stood in the middle of a train station listening to speakers blare at you from five different directions, informing you of this destination, that track, those trains. Add to that scenario the fact that all the German I know I learned form Hogan's Heroes reruns growing up, and you get the picture. Confusing. Easy to listen to the wrong thing and get on the wrong train headed for the wrong place. There are simply too many voices telling you where to go.

Same goes for life with God.

We listen to too many voices that tell us our identity.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” (John 10.1-5)

What's the first thing we get from Jesus' words here? He's plainly telling us—there are thieves. They're out there. And they want you. They will sneak in and and they will look good, sound good, and try to confuse you completely. They don't want you to know who you are. If you know who you are, you have power, and the thieves don't like that. They prefer you powerless and willing to listen to anything. Jesus clearly warns--don't be surprised when thieves try to steal who you are. It happens.

How do we know who is a thief and who is not? How do we know which voices to listen to?

There are a few questions we can use to make it easier.

• Does this make sense? Really, would an intelligent person believe this? You are an intelligent person. I know you are, because only intelligent people read my blog :)

One of my pet peeves is when people post a story on Facebook and then preface it with, “I don't know if this is true or not, but . . .” Um, if you don't know, how about don't post it until you do? Put it through the “does this make sense?” filter. And Snopes. Please. 

But you, my friend, are smarter than that, and you know that if something looks too good to be true, it's probably been photoshopped. Question everything that tries to tell you who you are or should be with a simple—Does this make sense to a sensible person? You'd be surprised at how many ideas that boots out right away. 

• Does it appeal to making me feel good? And the corollary--are they trying to sell me something? Thieves make their livelihood from our willingness to listen to them. Of course they tell a story we want to hear. Of course they appeal to our sense of well being, adventure, rebellion, power, happiness, whatever. How else will they convince us to empty our wallets into theirs? Sure, sometimes what people are selling is a good thing. (Um, I write books and speak for a living. I would prefer to sell some. Yeah. It's kind of how that eating and heating the house thing works.) But think about the answer. What does this message appeal to and why?

• Will it really be good for me? Like long-term good. Not short-term happy happy joy joy. Real, like “don't text and drive is a pain when I want to communicate now but saves my life long-term” good.

• Does the Bible agree? Why is this the most important question? Because this is the plan laid out by the only one in the entire universe who has never tried to sell us anything. In fact, it's the word of the one who gave us everything instead, up to and including his own life.

Jesus says his own hear his voice. They can distinguish it. They know the good voice from the many, many competing ones. They will get on the right train because they are concentrating on the right destination.

Jesus said that He gathers his flock and leads them—that means he goes in front to see any danger, to clear a path, to lead to food and water and all kinds of nourishing things. 

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10.10)

Which voice do you want giving you an identity? The thief or the shepherd? Who are your thieves?

Fly Like and Eagle (and now you're singing that song)

It takes a lot to get me out of the house in winter. I'm trying to renegotiate the basic human need for food so I can eliminate grocery store trips, but so far that hasn't worked so well. I don't like cold. Or snow. Or . . . you know, Amazon and PeaPod deliver . . . 

Still, almost every winter I love to venture down to Starved Rock State Park with my family to hike the trails to see the frozen waterfalls. Usually, we manage to choose one of the coldest Saturdays of the winter. So you know I believe it's worth it to see those frozen sheets of water. 

Another required stop is the bluff to watch the eagles. Soaring over the Illinois River, bald eagle pairs are a sight to make cold seem less relevant, somehow. 

I started to imagine, while thinking about this topic of identity in God—what would it be like not to know you're an eagle? What if an eagle thought it was a mole? What if it spent its days digging through the ground, eating beetle grubs, wondering all the time why it was so incredibly ineffective at this digging thing. Why did it hate the feel of dirt in its feathers so much? And why, oh why, were grubs so disgusting and unfilling? The eagle would feel like it was a failure. Like it had one job and it not only was no good at it, it didn't even care.

Identity. Reprise.

That sounds like a lot of us. Last week, I talked about how being made in the image of God means that we should respect that image in others. We need to be about the business of seeing others as mirrors of ourselves, with their pluses, minuses, failures, and successes reflecting back our own. God included all people in his declaration that humans made in his image are very good. No exceptions.

But what if there is at least one person I don't treat with that kind of respect? And what if that person is . . . me? 

What if one of the reasons we have such a difficult time understanding and living out our true identity in God is that we do not believe we are eagles? We spend our time digging away at pointless things, crying out to God Why? Why do I feel like I can't ever get better at this? Why is this so unfulfilling? Why am I not making any headway at all?

And God looks at us and says—Because you're not a mole, you idiot. You were never meant to paw at the dirt. I made you to soar.

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2.10)

Eagles are some of God's most incredible creations. But you? You are a masterpiece. Right up there with the Mona Lisa and the Pieta. God's stunning creation. You should be hanging in a museum and having people gawk at you.

OK, maybe not. That wouldn't even be very much fun, I'm guessing.

Be An Eagle

But what if I don't feel like a masterpiece? At all? Well, the good news is it doesn't matter how we feel. God called us one. His word is the rule. If He said it, it is fact. God called human creation very good. He called people in his image three times in Genesis 1. That's significant, as we discussed in the first week of this topic. If He has declared it to be so, my feelings don't change it one way or another. That's excellent news for someone whose feelings of worth vary as much as the tide level in the Bay of Fundy.

However, it's going to be hard for me to treat others with the respect of God's image in them if I haven't practiced treating myself the same way. If I sell myself short in a hundred tiny ways every day, I'm highly likely to do the same to others. 

God wants me to stop selling myself short. He wants me to be an eagle. Maybe that's going to be your hardest battle in 2015 when it comes to retaking your identity in Christ. Believe that you are an eagle. (This is starting to sound very Karate Kid. Whatever.) 

We hear that we are to be God's representative on earth and we think, I can't do that. I'm not good enough. Holy enough. Smart enough. I'm not Mother Teresa or Billy Graham or that doctor in Africa on the cover of Time. I'm not even my pastor or youth pastor on a good day. They're trained/educated/just plain born good. I'm not. I'll leave that ambassador for God thing to them and go on digging around down here. It's good enough. I'm not cut out for more. 

God says—stop being a mole. Stop selling yourself short. The truth is, every time we choose to be less than an eagle, we disrespect the image He gave us. We choose to be a cheap postcard reprint of a Thomas Kincaid when we could be a Monet. 

No one can figure out his or her God-given identity sitting an assembly line of identical knockoffs of the real thing.

Who Does God Say We Are?

Things God says about you if you have given your life to Him:

• You're his image—with all that includes. (Genesis 1.27)
• He knew you before you were born and had a plan for you. (Jeremiah 1.5, Psalm 139)
• You are a new creation—you can start over. (2 Corinthians 5.17)
• You are chosen, and you belong to Him. (1 Peter 2.9)
• You're his child, and you will become more like him all the time. (1 John 3. 1-3)
• You are his friend--trusted. (John 15.15)
• You are wonderfully made. (Psalm 139.14)
• You are reconciled, holy, and blameless. (Colossians 1.19-23)
• You are fearless. (Romans 8.14-15)

That is just a short list.

We all have the choice to soar into those things or to ignore them and keep digging around in the ground. 

--It takes stepping into that belief, knowing we might fall and get hurt but taking the chance anyway.

--It takes continuing those flying lessons, even after we tumble down because we lost sight of where we were meant to be. Like Dori said, Just keep swimming. Or flying. Same thing. Sort of.

--It takes looking at a situation and thinking about it not through lenses of fear but through a lens of “What would God's image-person do here?” 

--It takes looking at the thieves who try to steal your identity in Christ and saying, “You know what? I don't think so. I've seen the list. I know who I am.”

Today, I choose to soar.

Stamp of the Almighty -- If I'm God's Image, What Are You?

Twelve years ago, we took our family on a mission trip to China. As part of our daily activity, we went into classrooms where kids would ask us questions and practice their English skills. Usually, we fielded generic questions like: What's your favorite color? What do you like about China? What do you do? And, once they found out our family was from Chicago, Do you know Michael Jordan?

But one day, a boy raised his hand and floored me with something else. “Do you hate Osama bin Laden?” 

We think our class sizes are large.

This was October, 2002. 9/11 was not yet history. I struggled for the right words, and out came something like, “No, I don't. I am a follower of Jesus and he asks me to love my enemies. So I hate what he did. But no, I do not hate him.”

I could sense a climate change in the room. A room filled with communist atheist kids had just heard something they did not have the resources to comprehend. I wasn't sure I did. But their skepticism that our God was relevant turned to interest. What could make someone not return hate with hate?

Remember a time when people got along all the time? No one blamed anyone else for their dumb decisions, and no one got all defensive in your face about it either? We never bullied or inflicted hurt on purpose or put our own wants above someone else's needs? No one died in mindless acts of hatred.

Yeah, neither do I. Because none of us ever saw it. Only two people ever did. They didn't hang onto it for long.

It Was All Good. Very Good.

I imagine looking up in the Garden was something like this.

When God created the first two people, he declared that the original partnership was very good. It was the only part of creation that earned the adverb “very.” In that beginning, the original pair did not blame and fear one another. They worked together with grace and dignity. Humanity had that “let's all hold hands and get along” thing down, I tell you. But then, there were only two of them. How much conflict can you get into?

Enough.

It ended. Rather abruptly.

We've been talking about the image of God and what that means every day. How do we discover our identity, what we were born to be and do, by knowing more about that image?

We've figured out that being created in God's image means displaying his character and growing up, like kids, to “look” more like him. It means having his vision for my future and the future of the Kingdom. It means taking on the responsibility of being his ambassador of light in a dark world. Doing what he would do.

One huge aspect of “doing what he would do” lies at the heart of the Genesis story. If all people are created in his image, and if that image is still to be protected and valued even after we completely messed it up (Genesis 9.6), what does that mean for how we value other human beings?

If my purpose is to hold his vision dearer than anything I can dream of myself, I need to seriously look at that original relationship—and then at how we relate to one another now. God's vision was made clear in the garden. People are equal. People are precious. People are the most beautiful thing He created.

What am I going to do with that?

What I should be going to do is let the rest of the world see how it was meant to be. Let them know God had a plan. Make it clear that I'm committed to restoring that original plan. Even if it's not a popular commitment.

Who Is God's Image Again?

I listened to a panel of pastors and others recently talk about racism, privilege, and power. One of the young men told the story of going to Ferguson to participate in nonviolent protest. He spoke of standing face to face with police officers and looking into their eyes. “I could see clearly that neither one of us wanted to hurt the other. We were both people, looking in one another's eyes. Looking at another person who wanted peace. But we were stuck on opposite sides. Most people don't want to hurt anyone—we know we're all the same people.”

Those aren't his exact words, but that was the scene he painted. People who want to treat one another right, but a world that is so filled with complication, so far from what the original order was meant to be, we don't really know how.

• Osama bin Laden was made in the image of God.
• Michael Brown and Darren Wilson were made in the image of God.
• Every illegal immigrant you've ever seen, talked to, or read about was made in the image of God.
• Every girl trafficked for sex was made in the image of God. So was her pimp.
• The person who annoys you next door or in the next pew was made in the image of God.
• The kid in youth group who just unleashed the longest string of profanity you've ever heard put together was made in the image of God.
• The slow old lady up ahead, the grocery checker who made a mistake when you were in a hurry, the kid you just cut from the team are all made in the image of God.

What am I going to do with that?

Darn, but I don't think God made any exceptions when he said humans were made in his image. And that we are to love them. I don't see any annotations next to those pretty all-inclusive verses.

Why not? Because as his image, we know two things. One, we are called to restore what his original plan was. Two, the moment I look at you as a lesser being, I forget that I am you.  [tweet this]. I am of the same materials. If I look in the mirror, I should see you as much as I see me. I should be able to look at those who stand against me and recognize myself. If I'm living as God's ambassador, I should look into any eyes at all and see like Jesus would. In fact, I should see Jesus himself.

The world around us tells us we should treat everyone equally and be kind to all. Why? Because . . . well, we're not sure really, but it seems like a good idea. It's warm and fuzzy and gets a lot of Facebook likes. It often works out well in practice. So yeah, love your neighbor. That's a good thing to do.

No wonder it doesn't motivate a lot of us to change.

The Real Reason

How about this? Treat everyone equally because everyone has the same stamp of the Almighty on his or her soul. And as his ambassadors, we have the chance to help them uncover it. To help another human soul recognize his or her identity as God's own. To see the spark of joy and empowerment and pure light that comes from that recognition dawning. We get to be a part of that. We get to see it happen--when we start seeing others as fellow image bearers, no matter what.

The other thing to understand, though, is that love is a verb, not a nice feeling. We can't get away with, “Hey, I love them with the love of God. But they've got to conform to my standards before I'll do anything more.” Love always does something. It never pats someone on the head and moves on. It gets in the mud and pulls people out of it, because no one can discover their true identity covered in muck. And no one can get out of it alone. I couldn't.

Respecting the image of God means we can't turn away from damage that is done to it. It requires us to call out injustice. It begs us to stand up for others until they can stand for themselves. That's what God did, still does, for us. Jesus stood up for us on the cross. We never could have.

Yet some days we can't stand up for our neighbor, friend, coworker, or that person at church. They are to blame. They should apologize first. They should prove they care for me first. Guess what? Jesus didn't require that, and I'm glad. While we were yet sinners, he died for us. He didn't ask for apologies or qualifications first. He didn't inspect skin color, economic status, gender, nationality, or morality. He didn't say he'd die for only those who agreed with his politics, word choice, ideas for how to run a church, or theology. While we still rejected him, he died. Thank God.

To be his image is to see the “very good” of Genesis in everyone.  [tweet this]. It's to look at another soul and recognize the same image that is in you. Every human soul. How can I act hatefully toward my own face?

Next week, we'll actually ask that question. It's not as easy as it sounds.