Thursday, December 27, 2012

Becoming


Those who know me well understand that I am not a fan of making resolutions during the popular time of the year to do that. 

New Years has become almost a pagan festival of change in behavior. People will resolve to lose weight, stop drinking, stop smoking, be a better anything one can become better at...etc.

Two weeks into the resolution they had been so passionate about changing they are folded up like a wet noodle, and more saddened and depressed because now they have an added failure to the list.

I don't do resolutions in the classic sense. I have learned to stop swearing to "do" or "be" something, and instead strive to "become" something.

There is a difference.

Take these examples from Jesus.

This one on marriage:

Matthew 19:5 - "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh".

On the turn of a word the entire success or failure of a marriage can rise and fall on whether a couple actually "becomes as of one flesh", or simply just goes through the motion of trying to mimic that and "do" marriage. When a couple "becomes" the marriage and are absorbed into each other the marriage is a bond that is unbreakable and lasting.

How about this one:

Matthew 18:3 - "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Jesus is not saying we need to "act" like children, which would mean to "do" childlike things. He is saying we need to "become" like children, to take on the persona, the trusting nature of a child. To "do" would be to pretend. He wants us to "become".

One more:

Matthew 19:28 - "Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, in the new age [the Messianic rebirth of the world], when the Son of Man shall sit down on the throne of His glory, you who have [become My disciples, sided with My party and] followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel."

Jesus is describing the reward of discipleship. It was reserved for those who had actually "become" His disciples, not those who claimed to "be".  Remember the words of Jesus when He slices through the separation of the posers from the truehearts. "Many of you will say "Lord, Lord...".  Saying doesn't necessarily translate over as "becoming".

Simply put, the declaration of the voice needs to be first established in the heart.

Posers don't make it. Fakes don't make it. Liars don't make it. Jesus sees through them like an X-Ray.

Those of us who "become" make it. We become His disciples. We become the Living Stones in the foundation of His Church. We become Fishers of Men.

We become His. We belong to Jesus.

Resolve to become, and don't present a cheap knockoff.

Happy New Year!

Keepin' it Real,

Pastor Kevin <><
www.reallifect.com

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