"You will appear with Him in glory..."

Have you ever asked that deep, sometimes embarrassing question to yourself, "Where am I?" or  "What am I doing here?"

A dear friend of mine just recently explained that he has an alternate identity on the web so that "he can be free to spout off about whatever he wants to."  Especially since he's the type of public figure that people could misquote or get all huffy about if they don't agree, I understand his position.  But that leaves me with a question.

Who is he, then?

Who are any of us?  If our lives are so impacted by other people's opinions and demands of us, who are we, really, underneath all of that?  Is there a way to check?  Forgive the derogatory comment, but can we sort of lift up our skirts to see what's under all the cotton and lace?  Or, are we unable to get away from the lace and baggage that our environment heaps upon us?  Is that just the real us?

A man once said, "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."

I like the idea that as Christ-followers, we have died and HAVE NOT REAPPEARED yet.  It sorta takes the pressure off, doesn't it?  In my not-too-distant past, I have lived under the assumption that since I was a "born-again Christian" I should be able to put all my bad nature behind me and just be a great person from here on out.  Despite my best attempts, I fail ROYALLY and EPICALLY time and time again.  If this is the true me, and all of this struggle and fail and succeed and then fail again is as good as it gets-- well that's just disheartening.  Almost disheartening enough to question if I ever really "got saved."

However, the TRUE us-- what is  "hidden with Christ in God"-- has yet to be revealed.  I can't wait to see what I'm really like!  What remarkable people we will be when we are no longer bound to sin and greed and selfishness and other things of this life.  Things we do here ARE important, and we strive for holiness-- but who we are is HIDDEN and will appear when Christ returns.  Another reason to look forward to our Savior's second coming!


Hopefully this is a freeing thought!  You and I ARE saved, you and I ARE "being made new" but we are still hidden, yet to be finally revealed (in glory!) at Christ's triumphant second arrival.  See you then.