In the decades following Jesus' time on earth, Paul wrote the following words to the church in Corinth:
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible... To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
This summer I am living in a 3-bedroom house with 21 18-22-year-olds (plus one 25-year-old), and it has been quite the adventure. Naturally, we share qualities with your typical college kids. We listen to everything from rap to country. We have crazy dance parties. We are addicted to technology and social media. We love pizza. We have celebrity (and real-life) crushes. And we love just hanging out and having a good time.
Though we come from all over the United States and Canada with different backgrounds and stories, I have realized, through sharing testimonies each night, that we are all very similar.
We have all struggled with varying degrees of lust, depression, anxiety, suicide, self-harm, abuse, alcohol, drugs, pornography, perfectionism, brokenness, and loss. We have all felt inadequate and unworthy.
We are all real.
And we all know we have been made clean by our Savior, Jesus Christ. We worship with our whole hearts at the top of our lungs, singing praises to our Redeemer. We pray with earnest and thanksgiving. We throw everything we are into our ministries each day. We know God because he brought us out of our darkest moments, and we desire to share his love with each other and everyone we meet.
We are young. We are far from perfect. We stumble and fall. We argue with one another and with God. Our journeys with The Lord are still only beginning.
If Paul were writing letters today, he might say something like, "To the college students addicted to Facebook and cellphones, I became like one addicted to Facebook and cellphones, so as to win those addicted to Facebook and cellphones."
Or maybe, "To the unknowingly beautiful girl who throws up after every meal, I became like the unknowingly beautiful who throw up after every meal, so as to win her over."
"To the young man secretly watching graphic videos on the Internet, I became like one who watches graphic videos, so as to win him over."
"To the girl who has panic attacks and cuts her arms behind closed doors, I became like those who are lonely and depressed, so as to win them over."
"To the 18-22-year-olds who take everything for granted, I became like one who takes everything for granted (though I myself do not take everything for granted), so as to win those who take everything for granted.
I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.
The difference between us and Paul is that we don't have to become these things - we are these things.
We are real. We are relatable. We are remade. We are world changers.
We lack the holier-than-thou God Complex, because our salvation is fresh and we are still licking our wounds. We still feel inadequate. We still stumble.
But we have a Savior who charged us with a mission: to go and make disciples of all nations.
That includes our campuses. That includes our families. That includes our roommates. That includes our generation consumed by laziness, apathy, and selfishness.
Yes, I have screwed up. Big time. Multiple times. But God is using my story to impact the lives of others, so they might come to know him.
How is God using your story?
