Following Christ is more than living according to a set of rules, checking off boxes as we walk through life. It is being involved in a living, dynamic relationship every day, every moment – communicating, sharing experiences, living life together. Like all relationships, our relationship with Christ will go through seasons. Some of extremely intimate closeness, some of feelings of distance and unfamiliarity. And when we feel that distance, it is not He who has moved, but us. Based on past experiences, personal choices, and seasons of our lives, better than any friend He knows exactly what we need at the moment – whether to speak or stay silent, whether to intervene or stand back, whether to teach or let us learn for ourselves. And this not out of a desire to show his being better than us, but out of a deep understanding not only of who we are, but of who we can become. His goal for our lives is for us to become the best we can be. And not in comparison to anyone else or what the world around us expects – but based solely on the potential He placed in us on the day we were conceived – a treasure chest waiting to be opened. We were created beautifully unique, with different strengths, talents, and potentials. And as such, our desire in life should not be to give up that which makes us us in order to fit in with the world around us, but rather to stand apart.
It is only by being our true selves that we are able to change the world.