I think we are messed up

Okay, so I have been reading this book by a guy name Donald Miller called Looking for God knows what and it has been awesome. I mean I really like it. He is an exceptional writer and though some of the stuff he says in his book I might not buy into completely, overall he brings an incredible perspective to the Bible and to God. The stuff I was reading about this week in his book was the Fall and how when sin entered the world we all got really messed up. Donald Miller makes the point that we as humans all feel the need for others to see us as important. In fact we as humans find our importance in what others think of us not what we think of ourselves. This is true as far as I am concerned. I can think I have it all together but the first person that tells me that I don't, tells me that my clothes are stupid or the way that I teach is all wrong and it tears me apart and I feel like I don't have it together anymore. You see I find my importance in how others think of me. If they don't think I have it all together I don't think I have it all together. Anyway, Miller makes the point that God made us that way. He made us that way because God intended for mankind to get their value from the way that God views us. And when God created us he said we were very good and that it was supposed to be that way forever. That we (mankind) would always feel important and valued because God thinks we are valuable and important. But when Adam and Eve sinned, when the Fall occurred that all got really messed up. Instead of having that right relationship with God and feeling important because God thinks we are, we began to look to others and other things to tell us that we are important. We still needed something to tell us that, because God designed us that way, but instead of letting God tell us that we wanted to others to. And when that happened we got more messed up. That is why, according to me and Miller, we get so mad when someone cuts in line or cuts us off when we are driving. It isn't so much that we are going to be late now or have to wait longer but because their action of cutting in front of us says I am more important than you. And we can't handle that. We need for people to tell us we are important. So when Joe somebody decides he is more important and cuts me off I get mad. Even though I don't know this guy, even though I will never see him, meet him, or care about him, it is important for him to treat me like I am important and not cut in front of me. That is wild. That we need people to tell us we are important to that extent. That if someone I don't even know doesn't validate that for me I get mad. We are messed up. As students you know what this is like. School is just a real big popularity contest isn't it? Every one is jockeying for position. Who is more popular, is cooler, who is the better athlete or trumpet player or student. Everyone is competing to be the best, so that people will say they are the best. We need people to say that because our right relationship with God, the one that we are really meant to be hearing that from, is messed up. So we look to others. That makes life so hard. That makes school hard. I remember. The wonder of it all is that God still feels that way about us. In fact since the Fall we have been able to see it to an even greater extent through the coming and death of Jesus. That God would think we are so valuable that He would opt to die for us instead of wipe us out and start over is amazing. God thinks we are valuable and important. That is huge. He thought that He made us and He still thinks that. So why look to others to validate your importance? Why live that way? When God, the God who created us and died for us, says so clearly that He thinks you matter, He thinks you are important and valued. What incredible freedom is found in that. So, that is what Donald Miller was saying and I wanted to pass that on to you because it has been on my mind a lot this week. Remember, God thinks you are important. God finds you incredible valuable. Live in that realization. You created to do so.

Jake