Freedom to be Yourself by Darren T. Carter

     Have you ever been to the zoo and watched the caged animals?  If so, you can see that even though these animals have been rescued from death, they are still not free to be themselves. It is said that injured lions mostly die not from their injuries but from the pain of being unable to do what they do best.  We are much like the lion in that respect.  We have been set free so that we can truly become the person we were created to be and when we are not that person, we die inside.  Proverbs 13:12 says, hope deferred makes the heartsick.  Could this be one of the main reasons we see so much mental illness today, because people are jailed in sin and a total lack of purpose?

     “Are you free?” is the question you have to ask yourself.  If you are free, you are going to be comfortable in your own skin.  Paul said, “I am who I am.”  Paul understood his gifts, developed them, and expanded them because he was free. His freedom allowed him to reach his potential.  In Romans 12, Paul helps us identify the differing gifts each of us have been given; he then tells us not to compare ourselves with each other (II Cor. 10:12).  If you are trying to emulate someone else, you are not free.  You can learn from others, but you are unique. It is your uniqueness that makes you who you are.  You must try not to focus on yourself but look to the grace that sets you free.  Grace is about taking the mundane and ordinary and transforming it into the special and extraordinary.  Grace does not focus on our insufficiency but on the all-sufficiency of the cross and the freedom of being found in Him.

     It was William Shakespeare who said, “God has given you one face, and you make yourself another?” You may not realize it, but not being yourself is actually a subtle form of hypocrisy.  I have a great desire to see the church break out of the box.  We should be the most unique, creative people on the face of the earth.  I don’t think people hide from their true uniqueness on purpose, but we have been bound so long it is hard to break free.  Let’s look at three main areas that bind people from being free.  We become many times a lot like the prisoner who has been so institutionalized that they can’t imagine living free.  Let’s look at three main areas that bind up people from being free:

• Traditionalism:  Jesus talked about allowing traditions to keep us from the will of God. 
• High Mindedness:  Paul said that when we think more of ourselves than we should, we miss our true calling.  We have to accurately assess our gifts, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses.
• Limited Thinking:  When we limit our thinking, we keep ourselves bound to the ideas that have shaped our thinking and kept us from His purpose.

     Refuse to allow anyone or anything to keep the true you from fulfilling your purpose in this life.  Break out of the cage that has kept you from being you.  Darren T. Carter

 

Today's guest author is Darren T. Carter, husband, father, author, and inspirational speaker.  To learn more about him, visit his website or follow him on facebook or twitter.

www.foundationmin.org

Facebook: FoundationMin

Twitter: FoundationMin