Our DNA: Who We Are and Why We Exist
Our DNA: Who We Are and Why We Exist
As we continue to explore our DNA we must look at who we are and why we exist
This is part three of a series of posts that outline Our DNA. Make sure to read Part 1: Guiding Passage and Part 2: Who We Love.
Aristotle has been famously quoted as to have said “to know yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” As cliché as old quotes like this might be… there is a lot of truth in what he says. As we continue our exploration into our DNA it is crucial for us to have a proper understanding of who we are and why we exist.
Who We Are: Imperfect people being transformed by the perfect love of Christ.
I don’t know about you… but I am a complete and utter mess of a person. I say and do things that you would assume a pastor would not say or do. The good news? I am in good company… because whether you are willing to formally admit it or not you are just as messed up as I am. The problem isn’t that we are messed up… the problem is that often times church people give off a certain self-righteousness to hide their mess. Think about it. Chances are you have encountered a judgmental Christian who gave off an appearance that they were above the temptations of the word. As I have talked with people who for one reason or another walked away from the Church, one of the most common things I have heard is how they were tired of the fakeness. There is often a certain expectation in churches that Christians are to be perfect and holy. Christians are supposed to have it all figured out.
That isn’t the way things are though. I don’t have it all figured out. And that is ok.
Rather, I like to think that we are all on a journey from imperfection to perfection. A journey that is only possible because of the love, mercy, and hope found in Jesus. We will make mistakes. We will fail. But our list of mistakes do not define us. Jesus does. We are all on a journey to strive to be more like Jesus each everyday. To strive to follow Him, even though we do so imperfectly here in these physical bodies.
Why We Exist: To engage our imperfect world with the perfect love of Christ.
Who we are bleeds directly into why we exist. When we are able to embrace our imperfectness and refuse the temptation to pretend like we have it all together it opens us up to becoming who God has created us to be. As imperfect beings we are able to live in, resonate with, and influence the imperfect world in which we live. Why? Because we understand it. Each person reading this knows what it means to be hurt, to experience regret, shame, and bitterness. Who hasn’t experienced jealousy and anger? We all know what it means to be trapped by bad habits and sin. These are all common emotions brought on by common life experiences. When we embrace our imperfectness… we can recognize these emotions and experiences in a way that pretending to be perfect doesn’t allow.
When we can approach the imperfect world not as superior but rather as equals… we have opportunities to build trust. That trust allows us to point people in the direction of the perfect love of Christ. All these negative experiences can be brought to Jesus! We exist to bring hope, renewal, and purpose to the imperfect world!