“If people don’t like me, I don’t want them to like me. I don’t put on airs for nobody and I don’t kiss nobody’s ass.”
These are wise words from my grandmother.
She stands about five feet tall and 110 pounds. She’s an Iowa girl and has been her whole life. She’s raised three kids, seven grandkids, and two great-grandkids. She works on a farm and cooks for her church. And I think she’s on to something.
I’ve heard the question asked, “Who am I in Christ?” multiple times over the past few years. What I haven’t heard until the past few weeks is this question-
“Who is Christ in me?”
What does Christ, who dwells in our hearts, look like in each one of us? If we are all a different part of the body of Christ, can’t it be true that each of us, who are made in the image of God, look like different bits of Christ? Of God?
God is GOOD. Therefore he must be full of good things. Too many good things for just one person to have! We are created in his image, but we are different.
God is-
Smart
Creative
Funny
Wise
Truthful
Loving
Joyful
Forgiving
Generous
Fatherly
Healer
Teacher
Friend
Leader
Servant
Loyal
Kind
No one person has ALL of the good things that God has. No one person has EVERY piece of his image. Some people are really good at teaching, some people are good at telling you the truth gently. Some people lead by example while others are good at delegating and directing. Some people are just hilarious and always make people smile, while others offer invaluable advice.
What does Christ in you look like??
What do you have a passion for? What do you like to do? What makes you feel good about yourself?
Don’t try to be someone else. If someone else is really gifted with singing and worship leading but you aren’t, who cares? It doesn’t mean your role is less vital. So someone else writes beautifully but you can’t spell to save your life, it’s okay. That’s not you, don’t try to conform to the Christ in someone else. When we break off the comparisons, break off all of the things that we try to make ourselves be, we scrape of all that is unnatural. We remove the tarnish, and what is left is Christ. The Christ in us.
The more we become ourselves, the people that God created us to be, the more we become like Christ.
I don’t want to say that we shouldn’t grow or be things that don’t come naturally to us. We should grow. We should stretch our wings and learn and think outside of the box and do things that challenge us. However, we know when we are just “putting on airs” for someone. We know when we are doing something for the sole purpose of affecting what another person thinks of us.
Don’t.
If people don’t like the REAL you, the you without restrictions, the you that has specific goals and passions and gifts and attributes, then they are not liking the Christ in you.
That is not on you.
Don’t let anyone rain on your parade.
As my grandma says, “If they don’t like me, then I don’t want them to like me.”
Let yourself be like Christ. Don’t smother the Christ in you. Let them not like you, and let Christ be known.
