BECOMING WHO YOU ARE
We have been given the capacity to love through Christ. He IS Mercy; therefore, we may show mercy. He IS Grace and Beauty and Life, and we have been given such things with which we may paint and dance and breathe in wonder. Often, though, this capacity is left undiscovered when distractions, suffering, abuse, insecurities, and unfulfilled desires lord over both our focus and our recognition that we could even have such capacities.
Moses, known as the great leader of Israel in the Bible's Old Testament, learned something about his capacity by being stretched amidst the confusion of what God wanted for Him. Surely he had been waiting in Exodus 7 during the ten plagues for direction to lead the Israelites from Egypt. The Hebrew word "natsab" (meaning to "stand in wait") appears several times throughout the book's early verses, confirming Moses and his brother Aaron were “stationed” and “positioned” where God wanted them at that particular moment; ready for Israel’s release from Egyptian slavery.
After the freedom march and into Exodus 24, verse 12 shares, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain and wait there.” Wait again!?! Good grief. This time, however, the word wait is "hayah" meaning “to be.”
Forget Nike’s “just do it” attitude. “Just be” was God’s mantra for this man. “Dude, go to that mountain and just be.”
Justttttttttt be. The mighty warrior of Israel, the former prince of Egypt, one of the most pivotal pioneers of the Christian faith, told not to do anything with thousands of people seeking direction--just be.
Upon seeing the tornado of life’s demands coming fast, wouldn't it make sense to run for cover? Wouldn't it make sense to get an action plan together, get the finances in order, meet with the board of directors, and prepare for the impending move?
And yet, here in the midst of a most trying time in Moses’ life, he is told to climb to the top of a mountain and chill... With an invisible being... For who knows how long.
My favorite part of this verse is the verb. God could have easily used the verb “natsab” again, meaning “positioned.” It would certainly make sense to have Moses kneeling or ready to receive that which God had for him.
Instead--and here’s the kicker--God tells Moses to take up the very likeness of God. How so?
For that, we must return to the beginning of Moses’ journey. Exodus 3 showcases Moses waiting at a bush. The bush happens to be on fire. And through that bush, the voice of God tells Moses to return to Egypt and get the Israelites out of slavery.
“Then Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, “The God of your
fathers has sent me to you,” and they ask me, ‘What is His name?” what shall I say to them?’
God said to Moses, ‘I Am who I am.’”
HE is “I AM who I am.” In Hebrew, "Hayah asher Hayah."
Returning to Exodus 24, Moses is told to “hayah” with God on the side of a mountain; he is told to spend time with the Great Hayah asher Hayah. Having been created in God's image, Moses is given the privilege of reflecting his Creator - to emulate His being by reflecting through personality and action that which God already is.
We know that “God is love.” Therefore, we GET to be love as He is. He is the embodiment of hope; therefore, we have the capacity to hope. He is mercy; which allows us to show mercy. He is grace and beauty and life; we have been given such things with which we may paint and dance and breathe in wonder. So why are we so defined by what we do rather than what we are?
How free could we be living if we were to spend much more time focused on habitually becoming like Christ, seeking wonder, living out cardinal virtues, and exploring/adventuring as He would have us do?! We would experience life's truest beauty and freedom no matter the circumstance!
On this day, in this moment, may you begin the journey of seeking to “be” with God rather than “do” for God. May you recognize that beauty and grief can intermingle at the same time (1 Peter 4:12-19). Recognize that you are not supposed to have all the “Christian” answers. This life is meant to be spent WITH Christ as He shapes us. “Come and follow me,” says the Master, not “come and work for me.”
He is calling us to spend time with Him, take on His vocabulary, see as He sees, love like He loves. This kind of “being” takes intentional commitment. It means living in the unknown at times and with a loose grip on things you hold dear. The beauty of this sort of life is that freedom comes when you are reliant on a True and Ever Present God rather than committed to a false savior who attempts to redeem you and fails miserably every time.
May today you seek His Very Being, and in being with Him, become who you really were meant to be.
This article was originally published on BrittanyRust.com. Used with permission.
Julie Langford and her best friend (and husband) Andrew love living in Portland, Oregon where she enjoys practicing ballet, exploring outdoor adventures, and inventing a new kind of wheel (or enjoying reinventing the old one). You can learn more about her and Learning to Become at www.learningtobecome.com.
Publication date: July 14, 2016