Born-Again Alien

Alien

I was inspired to write this because currently I am growing through my twenties. It really feels like the “twisty twenties” for me. This is the time in life when you are finding yourself and attempting to grow comfortable in who you are, even if it means you are different from those around you. The plans that you made for yourself may have changed, your priorities most definitely can differ from your original, and depending on your faith, your perspective on life may shift.

When I was six years old my dream was to be in the WNBA. If you know me now, you know that I’m only 5”6’ and that dream is as distant as the years passed. As I got older I realized my love for music and even more so, my love for ministry. My plans and my priorities changed throughout my growth. There is no one specific pinpointed reason, everyone is different and so are their experiences. My main point is that life occurs in stages and at each stage you may be at a different level in your life. During the stage of my life when I was in middle school my level of maturity was not the same as my high school stage. I even choose my friends differently now, than I did back then. Having little things in common such as your favorite play-doh or favorite color will no longer deem you as my “best friend”. 

I’ve noticed that throughout each stage of my life I mature, my faith grows, and my priorities not only differ from the past but also from those around me. It’s uncomfortable because it brings change. The friends that I had, still enjoyed doing things that I grew out of. Now that doesn’t mean I’m better than them or I no longer love or respect them. It means that change has occurred. With the different experiences in all of our lives we will all grow at different paces and possibly in different directions. In reality most people say it has to do with age because with age comes wisdom. That is true. However, I also think a major key in all of it, is realizing when you are and are not equally-yoked.

As a born-again Christian, you make the decision to yoke yourself to our Heavenly Father. In the midst of yoking yourself to Him, you separate yourself from others who have not. God created this world and in giving Adam & Eve (and the rest of us) the power of free will, they made the choice in letting darkness enter. When darkness entered the earth, this became a world revolved around satan and his desires. He is the god/ruler of this world and this world is temporary. It is up to us on who we will choose to serve because you cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). When we choose to accept Christ and are born-again, our spirits are renewed, placing us in the position of being IN the world rather than being OF it. In a sense, it’s almost like we are the aliens of this world. At times it feels like we don’t belong because we are the light in the midst of darkness. During this twisty twenty stage I’m in, I find myself feeling different from those around me.

The things everyone wanted to do in college didn’t entertain me. I’m often told “you’re still young, have fun”. Most of the time I feel like I’m always thinking about my actions TOO carefully. I think because I know the world is temporary, that makes me consider the choices that will affect my life after this place. I consider my words that I speak because I realize their power. I know that any remaining time I have here, is for a purpose bigger than my own. I live by faith daily.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to explain this walk of life to others who have not yet made their decision to follow Christ. It’s because they are still OF this world. It is because we are not yet yoked equally. Our job is to be a vessel & share the importance of His relationship. However, we cannot force it upon others. Therefore, when you find yourself being frustratingly different, I want you to know that—IT IS OKAY!

In fact, if you never felt different, if the ways of this world have never bothered you, that is when you should be concerned.  1 John 2:15-17 says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

Remember that as children of God, our main priority is to be pleaser of God and not those around us. (Acts 5:29) From one BOSS to another, I want to encourage you to stay encouraged. It will all be worth it when we reach the gates of heaven! :-)