by Michael Carmack,
CLC Youth Director
 When I was younger, like many young boys, I loved sports and I looked up to the professional athletes. Michael Jordan was the best basketball player when I was growing up and man did I envy his slam dunk...you know...the one where he sticks out his tongue and looks great doing it? Well I remember when the “Air Jordan Shoes” came out and I saw them on TV. The commercial for these shoes promised that if I bought them, I would be able to jump higher! I would run faster!! I would be just like Michael Jordan!! Man did I want those! I wanted to be just like Michael Jordan!! Luckily for me, my mom never bought me those shoes. My dreams would have been crushed! Now...I don’t care what kind of shoes I am wearing...there is no way that I would be able to dunk like Michael Jordan...EVER. There is just no way.
Not only that, but if I was to buy some clothes from a certain store...they are not going to make me look like George Clooney. And if I were to adopt 6 children from different countries around the world, I would not be Brad Pit. I would be an imposter. Trying to be something I’m not...
In our society, we are constantly bombarded by the idea that we are not good enough...that the person that we were created to be is not quite good enough. Our society teaches us that we have to wear the right clothes or the right shoes, or give up what’s most important to us in order to live like everyone else, or in order to be someone else. An imposter.
So, what exactly is an imposter? Well, I was wondering this same thing....so like any other 20 something year old...I Googled it...wondering what the web had to offer on this topic....I clicked on one of the links and found a dictionary definition of the word. It said - imposter - noun... a person who practices deception under an assumed character. So...basically someone making up their own identity...their own personality...never really takes the time to discover who they are.
These are people who try to be everything that they’re not...These people are...well...they are us!
Whether we do this for our own popularity, or our own self promoting or self gain, I’m not sure. I would venture to guess that every one of us have at one time or another been in this imposter role....I know that during my time in both High School and College I was constantly trying to be the person society was telling me to be...the popular jock who could do anything...the Michael Jordan if I put on the shoes...
I want to show you a few picture examples I found when I was googling imposters....
The wolf trying to be a sheep in order to gain an advantage with those around him.
Trying to fit in with those around us
At one time or another we have all attempted to juggle all of our different masks...tried to fit in with those around us
This one was my favorite...always trying to be something bigger...more fearsome and mightier than who we really are......
But what about who God wants us to be? Have we ever stopped to think about that? Have we ever taken the time to stop and ask who God wants us to be?
WHY NOT??
Why not be the person I am? Why not be the person that God created me to be? Why not be the person that God has called us to be? The person He personally knitted together to be?
WHY NOT?
It’s a difficult task...even a monumental one at that. Why not be exactly the person you were created to be?
If you didn’t already know....my wife and I are expecting our first child this summer and a few weeks ago we had the BIG ultrasound...you know the one where they look to see if anything is wrong and hopefully are able to tell you what the sex of your child and if there are any worries or issues to be concerned about...so as you can imagine...both my wife and I were VERY nervous...
But...as I am standing there in the darkened room only lit up from light being given off by a small TV monitor I was staring right at this picture...
Now, I promise that is not a picture of some alien or other weird phenomena...but my baby growing in the womb....
I could only think to myself and at times I had to bite my tongue to keep from screaming about how amazing what I was looking at was....I couldn’t help but to be reminded of this text....and I was drawn to this verse in particular...
Psalm 139:13 ‘you made the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my Mother’s womb’
You see...God knew who you were while you were still in the womb...before Doctors could even see you...before any medical machine can even see you...while you were still clocked in darkness...God was hard at work....putting the right pieces of the puzzle together...just as he intended them to fit....and like any other puzzle...the pieces that make up exactly who you are will never ever fit as someone else.
In this Psalm 139 the writer talks about how God knows everything about you...how you were knitted together uniquely...by his hand...and I was overwhelmed as I stared at the screen thinking to my self...this child is wonderfully and uniquely created...by God...I hope that she is willing to stop and ask herself....WHY NOT be who I am created and intended to be....
Later in Mathew we are told that the Lord knows exactly how many hairs are on your head! Just think about that...God knows eveything about you...from the way you process information...to the way you handle situations...to even knowing how far you will be able to throw a baseball or if you could dunk a basketball...because he MADE YOU...he knitted you together exactly how he inteded...he made us each unique and talented...now matter how hard we try...how far we run...we will never be able to escape or change that fact.... I mean think about it...how many hairs on your head!! That is just an amazing thought...
Just as our unborn child is uniquely created, I am also uniquely created, and my wife is uniquely created. We all have different puzzle pieces that could never fit together with anyone else...my wife and I both have different gifts...different talents that we both bring to our relationship...but those different gifts and talents that God has given us work together to form one relationship in our marriage.
This is similar to how each of our individualities...the persons who God created us to be...works together to form the body of Christ.
You see, in tonight’s text the writer talks about how we have ALL been uniquely gifted and called by God to be a part of the body of Christ, do his work but too often we get stuck trying to fit in, trying to be a part of the ‘in-crowd’ instead of being set apart and sticking to the calling that God has for us. Though we are all different in many ways we are all the same, we all join together with Christian from around the world to form the body of Christ, working for good, fighting the good fight.
You see we have all been called to use OUR unique gifts and talents...to be the person that God created us to be...to spread the gospel. We are called to be unique at ALL times...There are those among us who are the hands of the body...the ones reaching out to help those around us who need a hand up...the ones who are always willing to give of them selves for the betterment of others....there are those of us who are the feet...the ones that take the gospel message and spread it to ALL those around us...we have ALL been give talents...and there more than I am able to mention...so WHY NOT be that person...the one you are intended to be....in order to be a part of the Body of Christ?
Just like in the text from tonight...there is no way that the foot can say to the hand...I have no need for you...because no matter how hard we try...we would never be able to succeed as the body of Christ with out all of OUR individual gifts...talents and uniqueness that makes us exactly who we are...
Without each other, our brothers and sisters in Christ, we would all fall apart and never be whole. We would all fall to the wayside thinking...oh someone else can do that or someone else is better than me. But I say to you that is just not true...we can never truly be the body of Christ with out ALL of us working together, sharing and working side by side. We are called at all times, not just when we feel like it is comfortable or when we think it is safe to do so.
So...WHY NOT?? Why not be the person that God has intended for you to be...the one that was created while you were still in the womb...in order to glorify God and allow God to use you in an incredible way?
Go ahead. Take off those imposter masks that we all wear around because it’s easier...because it makes our lives easier to live...but look at the people around you. This is the rest of the body of Christ. Know that you are not alone...that you are not fighting this fight alone...that every step of your journey there are people surrounding you...encouraging you and working side by side WITH you to help do the things that you are not equipped to do. It’s as the adage goes...there is truly strength in numbers... and when we work together as the body of Christ we can truly accomplish great things while working for the kingdom.
AMEN | 