Introductory Matters

I recently moved to Covington, Georgia from Louisville, Kentucky; and before that I was living out in Texas. I would venture to say that besides my friends and family, one of the things I miss the most is tex-mex food. Now some people in Georgia have no clue what that is… but then again, people in Texas most likely have no clue to what a “pot-licker” is.

I guess I love tex-mex because of its unique flavor. I am sure many of the same initial ingredients are used to cook southern food that are used to cook tex-mex, but it’s in the way that the ingredients are complied that bring out the incredibly delicious flavor that arouses the taste buds of Texans and those who visit the great state on a daily basis.

Now that I’m hungry, let’s take a quick turn to our life journeys…

Everyone has a walk of life which they have begun and are in the mist of, and of which they will one day conclude. But until that conclusion comes each person seeks their own meaning to this world. Some people settle for merely getting by, others seek greatness and continually fall short, and still others accomplish great things whether they will ever be known for them or not.

I can remember taking a personality quiz when I was a senior in high school and there were four basic categories that you should fit into. Everyone in class fit overwhelmingly into one of those boxes, but I scored equally among all of them. My teacher said that it meant I was still searching for my identity; but I thought it just meant I was well rounded.

Since then I have taken many journeys… both physically and spiritually; and in each of those I would say my identity has easily been found, it is just still in the process of being fine tuned.

My identity is in Christ, but what does that mean, what does that look like?

I’ve seen countries where the majority of people despise the United States and Christianity, and in their minds those two things are intertwined. To them we are merely living in a pool of hypocrisy, and they want nothing to do with us or our defining religion.

I’ve met people that act as if they have everything figured out, and they feel as if they are enlightened because they have concluded if there is a God, no one could truly know him.
I’ve met people that are completely lost and openly searching for meaning.

And then I’ve met people that look so beautiful on the outside, but in their inner being they are completely torn apart.

In all of my journeys and in all of the people I have met along the way, each place and each person has a very unique story with many essential characteristics. All of these things have left an impression on me and added beautiful things to my character… everything around me serves a purpose in shaping and molding me into whom I will become, but none of those things define me, they merely add flavor to the mix.

But to those who are searching for meaning and identity, how do they handle the environments which they surround themselves with?

Do they let their surroundings add flavor to who they are, or do they let their surroundings identify them?

I contend that if your identity and worth are not in Christ that you will let your environment define you and control who you are. You will be unique, but not in your own way… not in a Christ-centered way… you will be unique in the way that society has formed you to be.

Remember this: We are called to be in the world, but not of the world. Therefore, let’s not be conformed to the perishable darkness that surrounds us, but let’s be transformed by God’s imperishable Word.

I hope that you join me in this journey as I seek to unpack some answers to what it means to truly live life in Christ. However, my greater hope is that you do not go through this life merely existing, but that you would truly live life, and live it to the full.