I Am Free To Be ME

When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!"

David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD.– 2 Samuel 6: 20-23

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 6-8; Luke 15: 1-10

For a long while I was ashamed to identify myself as a Christian.

This had nothing to do with my faith in Jesus; that never wavered. But it did have a whole lot to do with how popular culture viewed “Christians”.

The 2000s were an interesting time for me. There was so much change. I went to college, 9/11 happened, I studied abroad in Brazil, I graduated college and entered the “real world” trying to figure out what kind of man I would be.

It was at this time that my Stepdad told me something that I’ll never forget. “This is the time in your life when you decide what kind of man you will be.”

I believe that we are always becoming who we will be in the future but he did have a point. It was one of those crucial turning points.

But as I really started to think about my spirituality I started looking around at the world got confused. I saw wars being waged in Jesus’ name, an epidemic of child abuse in the Catholic church, and many other fellow Christians being led astray by media designed pull at their spiritual heart strings.

And if that weren’t enough, how about the absurdly dogmatic hypocrites making the lives of “sinners” miserable while these same church leaders were guilty of the same sins…

Sigh…

I was frustrated and hurt. Where are the good Christians? Where are the “love your neighbor as yourself” Christians? Where are the Christians who will admit that they don’t have all of the answers; the ones who aren’t scared to ask questions?

Where are the other folks who just want to be the best that they can be and to spread their love to those around them.

You know what I finally realized?

What me and God have going has NOTHING to do with any of these folks.

When I figured out that I was focusing on the wrong things, that I was focusing on other people rather than going straight to God with my questions and concerns things got a lot easier.

God answered with the quickness.

It became easier for me to be like David, to dance and sing and enjoy the life that I have been blessed to live.

Because, when it comes down to it, only God can judge me… being concerned about what others think or do can only distract from what I need to do.

Now I feel free to be the Christian that I am, not the one that others try to make me into, to fit their frame of mind.

I am free to be ME.