WE PASS ON to an interesting passage: “Therefore I sent to you Timothy . . . to remind you of my ways in Christ” (1 Cor. 4:17). “My ways in Christ”—this brings out an important possibility: Jesus is the Way, but is it possible to have individual ways within the Way? Jesus is the Way, but He is not a blocked-off Way, insisting on each person’s losing his identity and individuality in following the Way. There can be the expression of individual ways within the Way.
God has made us different. When He created you He broke the pattern. He has never made anyone like you, and never will again. Each is unique and can give a unique contribution to the interpretation of Jesus. He is the universal and cannot be fully expressed by any individual or any group of individuals. It will take the sons of men to express the Son of Man. Each is important. He is needed to bring out some facet of His character and work which no one else can bring out. Be yourself in Christ.
This lets down the strain of trying to be someone else and to do the work of someone else. Be yourself and do your own work in Christ. A man who had burdened himself trying to be a Moody, came to the conclusion: “God got hold of a bigger man when he got hold of Moody.” He would be himself in Christ. A tension was let down.
This conception of being oneself in Christ, not only lets down tensions, it awakens possibilities. I can be a unique illustration of the redeeming power of Jesus which no one else can illustrate. Paul speaks of “my gospel.” Each can say the same: “my gospel.” For “the gospel according to you” is a fresh gospel—the Fifth gospel. As Matthew’s portrait is different from Mark’s, and Luke’s different from both, and John’s different from all, so yours will be different, perhaps blessedly different. Accept the commission: a unique illustrator of the unique Christ.
O Lord and Savior, I gaze and gaze at Thee from a standpoint different from anyone else, and so I see what no one else sees. Let me show what I see, and show it with joy and gratitude and deep humility. Open my lips, for I see more than I can say. In Thy name. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: Let me be myself in God, for there I am supernaturally natural.
