I write Dear Susan posts every Friday. Sometimes they will be poignant, sometimes thought-provoking, sometimes tender, sometimes funny… but hopefully always worth the read. 🙂
Dear Susan,
Christianity is all about being selfless. (Or is it?) The thing that they market the most is how life will be better after you ‘choose Jesus.’ “How much more there is to life once you’ve found God.” And I completely agree! But how could that be so? How could the most selfless religion only be entered into by such a selfish choice?
Selfish or Not
Dear Selfish or Not,
Christianity is not about being selfless as in NOTHING to do with us. Because if it’s not about us in some way, then who did Jesus die for?
So… it is about us in some profound and fundamental way.
It’s about the real us, the us God designed to be magnificent, the us who expresses our God-given gifts and talents, the us who responds to the Spirit of God and through whom the Holy Spirit manifests amazing fruits (such as love, joy, peace).
It is not, however, about the us who wants to get our way, doesn’t love others, chooses our own way over everyone else’s. Not about the us who thinks we’re the center of the universe. Not about the us who wants to run off independent of God, because that is the belligerent us who will end up hurting us.
But it is not about hating or hurting that belligerent us, as you wouldn’t hate or hurt a child who pouts when they don’t get their way. It’s just part of the whole package. It’s part of maturing.
True Christianity is about the us who resonates when Jesus says, “Follow me,” who does so sometimes as a stumbling mess, who leaves room for continued growth and maturity.
That’s what the journey of following Jesus is all about.
Susan
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