20 years & 1000 words

No one acts inconsistently with who they see themselves to be.
–Nicole Johnson, A Fresh-Brewed Life

I call myself a Christian. I claim the name of God and Jesus, who he was and what he has done for me, the Foundation of who I am. God loves me. God delights in me, wants to know me and pursues me. But do I actually live that way? Do I consistently live reflecting that I am loved by the master and creator of the universe? Or do I hide underneath the untruth that I am not really loved that much?

I imagine that if I actually lived and breathed the love of God – love for me and then, in turn, oozed that love into the lives of others – I would have more confidence. And it wouldn’t be in that arrogant, annoying prideful way. No, instead, it would be that attractive confidence that draws you to some people in a way that you can’t explain. They’re humble, but they don’t bother wasting energy defending or explaining themselves. Everyone wants to be friends with them because it’s easy. They are magnets for others and represent life well, confidently.

It’s a sexy confidence. It’s a confidence that says you know who you are, you are OK with it and you are going to live from that, not trying to be someone you’re not. It’s a confidence that starts with the assumption that you are a messed up sinner, are not better than people around you and admit that you can learn from everyone you meet.

What would change in your life if you were that person? And how might that effect the way that you interacted with the people around you?

“No one treats others inconsistently with who they see them to be.”

I like to consider myself a fairly caring and thoughtful person – one who loves God and loves others. But do I look into the eyes of everyone, from the strangers at the grocery store to my closest family and friends, all as children of God – deserving consistent love from God and from me?

The invitation to live out of this kind of confidence – to act consistently as a beloved child of God and, therefore, see others as Jesus sees them – is sitting there waiting for me. Some days, I sit on the couch with my cup of coffee, watching the world from a safe distance, hesitant to live life out loud with boldness and expectation. Those days make me feel mundane, worn out and bored.

But the others, the days that I grab that invitation and run at life so fast and hard that nothing can stop me, I am confident – sexy confident – experiencing the adventures that make the memories building a life even beyond my wildest imagination, writing stories that make me look back full of awe at the places God has taken me and developing relationships with some incredible people. Those days, I can’t help but think, WOW! That was me?!