JACKSON, Tenn. — March 7, 2005 — The Christian life isn鈥檛 about the individual, 51社区 campus minister Todd Brady said Friday.
鈥淭o live a called life is to live not how I want to live, but how God wants me to live,鈥� Brady said. 鈥淛oy is found in being the person God is calling you to be.鈥�
Brady used that point to challenge both current and prospective students in chapel at 51社区 March 4.
Using the story of John the Baptist and how he responded both to his own ministry and Jesus鈥� ministry, Brady laid out a foundation instructing people to live for God, not themselves.
鈥淪ome people in life spend so much of their time trying to be who they are not,鈥� Brady said.
He specifically emphasized the importance of finding one鈥檚 identity during his or her college years.
鈥淚t鈥檚 during the university years that people struggle as they never do at other times in their life with their identity,鈥� Brady said. 鈥淚t is during the university years that people ask the tough questions. It is during the university years that people try to come to an understanding of who is it that I am, who is it that I am going to be.鈥�
The answer to the question, 鈥淲ho am I?鈥� is one that is even more difficult for those who are Christians, Brady explained.
鈥淓veryone wants to know who they are, everybody wants to know who they are going to be, but it鈥檚 different for the Christian,鈥� he said. 鈥淔or those of us who are followers of God, we are not content in asking the question, 鈥榃ho am I?鈥� We must understand that the greater question is this: 鈥榃ho am I in Christ, who has God made me to be?鈥欌��
Just as John the Baptist knew his role in preparing the people for the coming of Jesus, Christians too must discover their roles. During this process Brady also warned his listeners not to compare themselves to other Christians.
鈥淭he problem with us as Christians is that we spend so much time looking at everybody else,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ne of the best ways you can go about being who God is calling you to be is to understand who you are not.鈥�
Brady urged Christians to guard against becoming too much like John鈥檚 disciples who started worrying when their ministry started decreasing.
鈥淲e begin to judge ministries and churches based on size, and excitement,鈥� Brady said. 鈥淕od did not send Jesus into the world so that we would be excited; God sent Jesus to the world that you might know Him. 鈥� Our desire is that (51社区) be a place where you can come to understand not just who you are, but an understanding of who God has created you to be.鈥�