Your True Self

I read this quote from theologian Richard Rohor this morning and it got me thinking about my own Advent journey:   

We spend most of our lives projecting and protecting our small, separate self-image... [Our true self-image in Jesus] doesn’t come with feelings of success, others’ approval, awards, promotions, or wealth. In fact, others may think us foolish or crazy. And so we put off the death of our false self. We cling to our ego because it feels substantial and essential. - Richard Rohr

The path to discovering our true self is not one that we can sort of wander down aimlessly and comfortably until suddenly we find it.  It's quite the opposite, actually.  

And the idea of finding our true self through following Jesus sometimes clashes with our realities, and our own frailty and fears.  The Apostle Paul wrote about this conflict in his letter to the Romans:  "For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing." 

Then he writes this, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?  Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"  

Paul discovered that when we follow Jesus---when we go all in as His disciples---we are going to be challenged each and every day to do more and be more than we ever dreamed we could be without Him.  

And when we accept those challenges, we will find ourselves closer to the true self that can only be found in Christ himself.  

May you be filled with the courage to stumble after Jesus even if the way seems scary and filled with challenge.  May you discover that you are more than you ever imagined because of Christ and his continuing redeeming and reconciling work in the world.  

And may the grace and peace our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all both now and forever.  Amen.