Free To Be Me

Introduction

I was just thinking this week that "Life is Good"

• Vision Sunday last week 
  • Our future looks awesome
• Celebrated 16 years of marriage on Friday

I'm often asked "If I enjoy what I do?"

• Answer – I love it
  • Prayer Meeting's awesome
  • I get the privilege to speak

I have a confession to make

• it was not always that way

I'm also often asked "What was it like planting/starting a church"

• Starting a church was never the issue
• Going to church since saved at 17 – loved it
• Just more of what I all ready loved
• There was just one major difference

For the first time in my life I went to church not just as a Christian but as the pastors wife

• That was the huge deal
• After all what does a pastors wife...
  • Do
  • Say & more importantly...
  • Wear!

My predecessors were lovely, God fearing, great woman of God

• But just not me
  • One – short, round, warm, country mum
  • Other – quiet, softly spoken, always in the background, could cook, sew, knit kinda wife!
  • What hope did I have?

So after deciding that florals, hats & white gloves weren't me...

and after many awful dinners, dry cakes & many burnt offerings...

I suddenly had a revelation...

The best gift I could give to Victory is Me!

Tonight I want to speak on...

Free To Be Me

I'm going to read to you a little story

Who knows the moral of this story?

I can tell you in 2 words

• BE Yourself

It's a truth that very few people live in today

Many know it but don't experience it

This little critter was happy until:

• He compared himself to others
• The zoo with its many animals represents
  • Your work, school, someone's house, hairstyle, body shape, clothes etc
• Its anything that we look at & wish we had instead of what we've got

It was when the little guy started comparing himself that he stopped being himself

What can we learn from Him?

When you're not yourself you'll always be...

Unhappy

No matter what attribute he received from the other animals didn't help

Your happiness doesn't come from getting what others have got

• Comes from accepting who you've got

Britney – marketing creation – can't be true self – self destructing

• i.e. In change rooms depressed (floral & trendy)
• i.e. Preaching – hiding because comparison not happy

Ungrateful

All he could see was what he couldn't do

• How small how slow & how weak
• Not what good at - hide & seek, surprising others & catching flies

We think Grass is Greener over fence but it's where you water it

• Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not there
• i.e. Preaching – I couldn't see it only saw not as good

Unfulfilled

There was always something/someone else

• Little critter wanted strength, handsome, smart, fast

When not happy with self nothing satisfies

• See that with plastic surgery
• If you rely on external things for fulfilment train yourself to be needy
  • i.e. Physical b4 marriage – train body's climatic response

When your free to be yourself don't fall for the latest fads etc

• Can enjoy them but don't need them
  • i.e. I love preaching but I don't need to
  • i.e. see it with people who lose jobs, kids move on etc.

Unproductive

In the end he couldn't do what he was created to do

• To catch flies

When you're being someone else the gifts, talents & treasure that are within go unused

• i.e. If I wasn't me I wouldn't be preaching tonight Tony was AWESOME

Ugly

When you're not yourself it's ugly

• Frankenstein (body of bits and pieces)

Nothing more unattractive than someone trying to be someone else

• Can you picture me in a floral dress, hat & gloves
  • It's not the clothes - they look great on others
  • It's just not me

Conclusion

It wasn't till the chameleon got back to being himself that things became normal for him

This message is all about us getting back to ourselves

Tony said this morning We are to create a counter Kingdom

• Today's culture screams be anybody else but yourself
• The kingdom says "Be Yourself"

The starting place to getting back to yourself is not with a wish like chameleon

• But by prayer to Jesus
• Why Jesus?
• Because he knows you better than you know yourself

(Ps 139:13-14Niv) For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. (14) I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;