Last week was, well… crazy is about the only way to describe it.
You see, I have a blog, which, I suppose you are reading at this moment if I understand such things correctly.
I have said blog because, well, I’m a Christian pastor, and apparently to be considered an actual, legitimate, authentic “Professional Christian” in 2012, one most publish one’s thoughts daily, if not hourly.
Every couple of days, I share some thoughts about faith or the Church or culture; things heavy on my heart, and a few good people read them and kindly share them. Essentially these are conversations that are birthed in the community where I serve, and some travel via social media to a few others, and my aspirations haven’t been much greater than that.
But something happened last week, which I had often heard about, but never really thought actually happened: I went viral.
One afternoon, a couple of posts began spreading like wildfire; and in the time it took to grab a meal and do some shopping, my blog had been read and shared by literally thousands upon thousands of people. I started to get overrun with email alerts with reader’s comments that came flooding in, one every few minutes.
Then, I began reading them.
And in that torrential wave of encouragement and disgust that followed, came the personal descriptions of me, as decided by virtual strangers:
“Left-Wing nutjob”
“Right-Wing nutjob”
“Truth-telling man of God.”
“Heretic troublemaker.”
“Prophet”
“Fraud”
“Sensitive good guy”
“Venom-spewing jerk”
“Sane voice in the wilderness”
“Jon Acuff wannabe”
(and some stuff I’d rather not repost, in case someone’s mother is reading)
And as these affirmations and condemnations started to pile-up in my inbox, I found myself agreeing with each as they came in; as if the one I happened to be reading in a given moment, had me pegged.
I began thinking, “I wonder which one of them is right. Maybe I am a courageous speaker of truth… Or, maybe I’m a divisive, cowardly phony.”
But then, in the middle of this overwhelming schizophrenia of self, the truth hit me: Every single one of the those titles is just written on a Post-it Note.
Post-its are great if you want something to stick for a while, but they’re not permanent, and are pretty easily knocked-off. They can’t sustain too much turbulence. If you really want something to stick, you get yourself some Duct Tape. That stuff stays, and stays and stays. it is relentlessly strong and annoyingly adherent.
Despite anyone’s opinions, God has already defined me as HIS. I am a Child of God. That is the truth about my identity, Duct Taped to me from birth.
None of those other people’s words could ever be as true, whether they were flattering or damaging; whether they lifted me or infuriated me. They are all temporary and inferior.
The same is true of the words you wear.
You may not have had a week where you had a bunch of strangers literally describing you via Facebook messages, but I’m sure you’ve got a mile-long list of people in your life; friends, family, bosses, employees, co-workers, who over and over, have spoken words into your life about who you are; words meant to describe and categorize and label you. Those words daily challenge, encourage, cripple, and destroy you, and some of them even feel true, but know this: they are not you.
There is only one label that sticks.
Friends, don’t be defined by the Post-it Note words of the world… God has already Duct Taped the Truth on you.
You are HIS.
