Community- Starts @ Home

As I've written about the church, many (including me!) would be tempted to say- "See, those people are the problem, can't we fix them?" instead of starting where it needs to, with us.  Whenever we talk about community, it has to start with ourselves.

So, who do you think you are?  Valid and very important question, right?  Mark Driscoll covers that in depth in his new book, "Who Do You Think You Are?" and we're going to be talking about it in depth the next several days, because until we have our identity, purpose, and place down telling others to fix themselves is failing in our mission and mandate from Jesus (who famously told us to "yank the plank" before trying to dig out specks in others' eyes).

To start, we have to answer the question for ourselves.  I think I'm a person who's saved by grace through faith who's following Jesus.  Does that mean I'm right?  No.  I think so, but it might not be true.  So let's put things in perspective...  Often we think one thing and do another completely, which follows for our identity.  Driscoll outlines some simple ways we exchange the Creator for something created, making our identity in something (an idol), rather than in the imago dei.  He uses a simple acrostic to define several of the areas we become idolaters instead of God imagers-

I: Items (stuff we own that projects our image- car, house, clothes, etc.)
D: Duties (job, ministry, family, achievements in those duties, etc.)
O: Others (our "tribe", race, church, social clubs, etc.)
L: Longings (hope for the future becoming something instead of hope in God's future)
S: Sufferings (cancer survivor, abuse victim, etc.)

Do any of those spots ring a bell?  As I evaluated myself, I find identity in a lot of things that aren't necessarily God.  My duties as a husband, father, and minister (previously the achievements of the athlete/scholar I was tended to cover that); my longing for a secure financial future (read: an income above the poverty level, cause that's just how youth pastor's roll) instead of daily reliance on God's provision.  There are more, but those two serve to make me think and should you as well.  Have I misplaced my identity by identifying with something instead of the Creator who gives me my identity in Him?  It's a tough though, and one that requires a fairly high degree of introspection, but is really required if we want to be a part of this crazy thing called the church.

So, who are you?  Really...  Not what you think, but who you are deep down, where no one else sees.  The answer might be scary, but there's good news- God specializes in making preciousness out of dust and life from our mistakes.  And the cross, it changes everything and allows our hope to spring anew.  Next time we'll look at our identity phase 1: In Christ...