If you could be anyone you wanted to be other than yourself, what or who would you be? Think big, you know, outside the box. We have all thought about it at one time or another. Let's start with a lion, a big ferocious "no one to mess with beast" who does not pay tax on anything. To some people, this is a "would if I could" dream. If you want to be a lion, you must consider the territory that goes with being a lion. Some things you might want to think about. First the down side, you would have to live in an extremely hot jungle. For your livelihood, you would have to chase down other animals, kill them, and eat the meat raw. You will have a short life; you will die in a fight with another lion or a hyena, or else you will starve to death. To survive, you must be mean and scary. You will not have a funeral or a burial; the vultures will act as undertakers and take care of the final arrangements. However, on the upside, you could live in a nice clean zoo, locked up in a cage with a chunk of raw meat thrown into your cage daily. Will this work for you? On the other hand, would you be better off being you?
How about a rich and famous movie star, "the glitter, the glamour, Hollywood?" Sounds a lot better than being a lion living in a hot sweaty jungle, going around killing for a living. Before you decide whether this would be better than being a lion, you need to look beyond what you see on the silver screen. Just about anything can sound appealing on the surface until you look at the territory that goes with it. There's somethings you need to consider. If you could be a rich and famous movie star, you would be subject to temptation at a level much higher than the average person has to deal with. Because you are rich and famous, you can never know who your friends are and who is using you. The rich and famous are just as famous for notorious failures in their personal lives. It's hard to name one of the rich and famous movie stars who has not had at least one divorce. If you have high standards, you will have to change your values to conform to Hollywood standards. Your personal life will be at high risk for divorce, drugs, and alcohol. Because you are rich and famous, you can abundantly afford to pursue a life of debauchery in an environment that makes it sociably acceptable. You may also have to deal with anorexia and other forms of eating disorders to maintain your star status; after all, "only thin is in." You will live on a diet; you will not eat as you once did. Your beauty and good looks are the most important things about you. Will this work for you? On the other hand, would you be better off being you?
REALITY CHECK
The difference between the lion and rich and famous movie star is a chunk of raw meat or hard-boiled eggs. What it means to be you and not a lion is that you have to pay tax on just about everything, but you are not forced to be a mean, scary person. You also increase your chances of a longer life, and you can cook your own food. Not being rich and famous means when you meet someone for the first time you will have to be introduced; they will not know your name and will not ask for your autograph. However, you can keep your privacy and not be hounded by scandalmongers. You do not have to worry about growing older and losing the love of your fans. You can have true friends who love you for who you are and not for what you can do for them or how they can use you to benefit themselves.
WE ARE WHO WE ARE
I Corinthians 15:10, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace which was with me." NKJV
Paul was comfortable in his own skin, at peace with who he was. Paul begins this statement with grace and ends in grace, with himself in the middle. We cannot change who we are, but we can change what we do with who we are. This determines the quality of life we live. We are who we are by the grace of God; this cannot be changed or altered in any way.
Lions are called the king of the beast. That means, "Respect! You don't mess with me." Likewise, it's not so much being a rich and famous movie star that we want, as it is the unconditional love and adoration they receive from their fans. No matter the scandal, the drugs, notorious failures in their personal lives, or the DUI arrests, we love them unconditionally and that is the end of it. We do not see the lion or our favorite rich and famous actor doing any wrong.
RESPECT AND UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Lions are fearless, but if they were only known as scavengers, who would want to be a lion? The lion represents respect; we want what he has, not the territory that goes with it. Our favorite idols are glamorous, thin, beautiful, and well mannered on camera with their talent running a poor fifth. What they do with their personal lives, no matter how bad or good, is not a factor for taking them off a pedestal. They are unconditionally loved by adoring fans all over the world. Love and respect are inseparable; we love what we respect and we respect what we love.
ROMANS 3:11: - "NO ONE SEEKS AFTER GOD"
No one seeks after God; we seek the benefits of God apart from God. God's love is unconditional, and His respect for His creation is clearly seen in John 3:16, "That God so loved us that He gave His only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." God's unconditional love for us is based on who we are, not on what we are or what we can do for Him. Nor does He love us because we have earned it. God loves us and He accepts us, even with the territory that goes with it.
Romans 10:13, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord will be saved."
and that is the end of it
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