'The Me I Want To Be' - part one



During our recent holiday to South Africa my grandmother gave my wife and I a gift voucher each as our birthday presents. They were for a fantastic Christian bookshop in Somerset West Mall. When it came to redeeming the vouchers, I scoured the shop, finding it difficult to decide what to get. In the end I chose a book by John Ortberg called 'The Me I Want To Be' as I felt it would apply to what God is doing in my life right now beacuse I feel I'm not the me I want to be at the moment. he has also written 'Everyone Is Normal Till You Get To Know Them' which my mother-in-law has read and really enjoyed - so that's got to be a good thing, right?

I still had some reservations! With a title like that, and with a giant 'ME' written in capital letters on the cover, I was worried it would turn out to be a self-centred pseudo-spiritual self-help book. But after reading 'Part One: Finding My Identity' my fears were calmed. This is an extremely self-less and Christ-centred book - just what the doctor ordered! In fact I am enjoying it so much and being challenged by it, I want to share this book amd my journey as I read it with you. The book is sub-divided into parts and further divided into chapters. I will blog about each part and share with you what The Holy Spirit is saying to me and doing in my life at each stage - so stay tuned!

So we begin -

Part One: Finding My Identity


One thing that struck me is that we are God's handiwork, not our own. He created us and only He knows who I am meant to be. I need to allow God to mould and shape me into that unique person who He wants me to be. I want a flourishing life where I am continually moving towards God's best version of me. Only God can help us to change.

I recognise parts of me, especially my mind and my time, are still what Ortberg terms as 'languishing', or not moving towards God's best version of me. There are times I also pretend to be someone I'm not. Name-dropping so people think I'm more than I really am; trying to act like someone else; or making my voice sound like so-and-so when I sing.Lord, help me to be ME and to be happy doing so! I also sometimes get pangs of guilt when I try and be someone I'm not, but think I should be like someone else: I don't practise my guiitar every day; I don't have an early morning quiet time with God (although I still have a relationship and I still communicate). It is good to be reassured that I don't have to have a spiritual life that mirrors someone elses - I am unique and my relationship with God will likewise be unique. It is ok. It is normal. I am normal.

Prayer

Help me to find how living my life for You and with You fits with being who I am - not striving to copy someone else's formula. Lord, help me to stop comparing myself, my music, my CD sales, my opportunities, mu spiritual life and growth with others. Thank You that I don't have to pretend with You, God.

Come Holy Spirit. Come work in me. Shape my life into how it should be. Help me to move away from a languishing life to a flourishing life. Moving away from sin and closer to You. Even if the me You made me to be is different from the me I think I should be, Your ways are better than mine. I trust You God.

Amen.

Comments

  1. Bo Blake16 August 2012 at 17:23

    sonds like we ALL should be buying this book,thank you for sharing you thoughts with us.;

    ReplyDelete
  2. Zondervan20 August 2012 at 08:31

    Looks to be a good series on your experience w/ The Me I Want to Be. Good work, and thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Matt McChlery20 August 2012 at 08:38

    Thanks Zondervan for publishing such great books! The 'part two' blog is already underway . . .watch this space.

    ReplyDelete

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