"I Am" v. "The GREAT I AM"

You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, "No one sees me." Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you when you say to yourself, "I am, and there is none besides me." - Isaiah 47:10 NIV

It's so easy to get caught up in this mess we call life. To focus on the, "I am and there is none besides me." Let's face it: Who doesn't want to make it all about them?

I get very caught up in social media. I try not to. But it creeps in. After all, it's so accessible-- especially to those with a smart phone. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter... You name it. It's all there at your finger tips. So I upload who knows how many pictures a day and update my status and share links, and then I spend way too much time waiting, checking, stalking, and waiting some more. Somehow this ends in unwarranted anger towards people. Perhaps someone didn't text me back. Perhaps someone didn't like a picture I was certain they would. Perhaps no one liked my status or shared my link I posted. Perhaps....

Why does it make me angry? Because I get caught up in the, "I am."
(This idea I'm taking from Beth Moore's study on Daniel I'm currently doing at the women's study at my church.)

It means I get so caught up in me. Thinking about myself and how "wonderful" I am, how creative I am, or how original or how pretty or how blessed and I want EVERYONE to recognize it. I want people to humble themselves before me.

Wait. WHAT?!

Isn't that what we are doing? Getting sucked in to the craziness of this world and wanting it to be all about us? So where is God in all this?

Oh. Right. HIM.

Yeah, you know, The GREAT I am.

Sound familiar? Here I am getting caught up in the "I am" and forgetting the GREAT I am.

Oops.

No, my friends, that's more than just "oops".

What I so easily forget as I spend mindless moments on my social media plugins is that I am not for this world. Another amazing thing a woman in my small group said. I am not living for this world. I am living for heaven. For the days when I will get to spend all my time glorifying God.

But... wait.. shouldn't I be doing that now as well?

There is a simple answer to that question: yes .

I can say I'm only human, I can say I have flaws, but that doesn't excuse me or give me room to skirt away from my purpose. My purpose is to "represent". To shine my light and let the whole world see that I am not for this world.

I am challenging myself to take a step back from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and focus on the relationship that matters the most: My relationship with Christ.

Do you get caught up in the "I am"? How can you challenge yourself to take a step back?