I am currently obsessed with a song by Casting Crowns called “Nobody”. Ironically, I think it is because I have always wanted to be a somebody. The lyrics in that song could not be more perfect in describing though, what I keep referring to as my 'purpose'.
“I am just a nobody, trying to tell everybody, about Somebody who saved my soul.” Yup, lyrical perfection.
I am not saying my desire to be somebody is going to go down without a fight. And the part of the song that declares, “and if they all forget my name, well that's fine with me”- isn't (is not) really – fine with me.
I kind of want to be a somebody declaring how freaking amazing the Somebody who saved my soul - and puts up with my arrogant self - is. So the song matches and it doesn't. It is hard for me to talk or write without sounding arrogant. I have just come to accept that fact. I get something in my head and it comes across sounding like I have declared it to be the only fact and truth. Mostly that is not what is going on, but it seems to happen over and over.
The goal would be to have that arrogance be about the real Somebody. And for people to believe that. It seems strange for that to be a goal, since the Somebody was more humble than any of us will ever understand.
So today, on my heart for some reason, are 'nice people'. And as a side note: I am not declaring this to be the only fact and truth. It is gonna' read like that, but it is only what is on my heart and rolling around in my head. So for the people I offend – sorry. But for the people who hear my heart – thank you.
Nice people are invaluable. The world desperately, absolutely, completely, desperately needs more nice people. Jesus adores nice people, they are His treasure.
PREPARE FOR THE INFLAMMATORY DECLARATION
Nice people, tragically, do not end up at the party-that-will-be-this-planet at the end of this age UNLESS THEY BELIEVE JESUS IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS.
I agree, this is devastating. I think it is actually one of the most sneaky, subtle, underhanded and disgusting schemes the devil has unleashed. It is his most shining moment disguised as an angel of light. “You are so kind and generous and good-hearted – you do not need Jesus.” I can hear that ******* and his minions hissing when they say this.
We all need Jesus. That's just the way God set it up. I know the 'usual arguments' are that we need Jesus because we are all rotten sinners with evil intentions and black hearts. There are some individuals that that certainly applies to, but I am going out on a limb and arrogantly declare that that is probably a minority of human beings.
We absolutely ARE ALL born separated from God. There is no doubt about that. Thanks Adam and Eve.
I am risking heresy here. I don't think we are all as evil as we are made out to believe we are. Let me reiterate. I believe there are humans that have chosen, of their own free will, to engage with and serve evil, but I don't think that is most of us. However, the devil enjoys that we think it is and that we run around trying to tell each other it is.
I believe most of us are nice people. But if the devil cannot trick you into believing you are in fact evil or entice you to become evil, he will employ the next strategy. Make you believe that because you are indeed nice and living out the kind of life that God would be pleased with, you don't actually need Jesus. *******
So here is my arrogant advice:
Don't fall for any of it.
Don't engage with or serve evil – that's probably not too difficult.
Don't believe that you need Jesus because you are a dirty, rotten sinner with evil intentions and a black heart. That is crap, no matter who you have heard it from.
Don't believe that you are going to get to participate in the new earth and new heaven simply because you are nice. That one is way harder.
But here's the thing. If you are already nice, there is not much you are going to have to adjust. Just your thought process. I know, I am arrogantly making that sound like it is easy.
My arrogance will extend to stating that it is this easy, “Thank You Jesus that I am already so amazing and awesome. I have lived separated from You. A lot of that is because the devil was scamming me and up until this point, I did not realize that. That makes me sad and I am sorry. But now I realize it and I don't want to be scammed anymore. I want to take all this amazingness and awesomeness that you have packed into me and redirect it.”
“I want to be a nobody (or a somebody) trying to tell everybody about Somebody who SAVED MY SOUL. Because that is what You are truly concerned about, You are concerned about my soul. You know I am already a nice person and I do good in Your world, but You want to make sure that I am around for the next, perfect earth and to do that, there is no other way except to continue being my fantastic self, AND to BELIEVE YOUR SON JESUS IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS. Amen.”
There, because you are a genuinely nice person who has a natural heart to serve others, not much might change for you on the outside. However, you may start to notice a lot of stuff changing on the inside. Thoughts, feelings, motivations, desires. Something you've always wanted to do but could not suddenly seems possible. A nagging fear you had disappears. The biggest prize about choosing to believe in Jesus is definitely just being able to say, “Ya, I hang with the Creator of the Universe.” But there are other bonuses that happen here, and then of course – you know, my favourite – the NEXT earth.
The perfect one – the one where we are all somebodies with THE Somebody.
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