Summary: Have you wanted to be someone else? As children, we all probably wished we were someone else. A very common fantasy of children is pretending to be their hero or superstar.<br> As an adult, have you ever wanted to be someone else? Some of us would say, “No, I have never wanted to be anyone but me.” Some of us would say, “Yes, I would like to be someone else every day of my life.” To those of us who say, “No, I have always wanted to be me,” have you ever wanted to swap places with someone else? That is wanting to be “me” in his or her circumstances. That is awfully close to wanting to be someone else.<br> As a Christian, have you ever wanted to be someone else? Have you ever thought, “Spiritually, my life would be a lot simpler if I could change places with him (or her). Have you ever thought, “I could do what I want to do for the Lord if I had her (or his) life!”<br> Perhaps more often than we realize we say to ourselves, “If I had her money…,” or, “If I had his voice…,” or, “If I had her talent…,” or, “If I had his education…,” or, “If I had her opportunities…,” or, “If I had his leadership ability…,” or, “If I had her background…,” or, “If I had his speaking ability then I could do something truly significant for God.”<br> Let me ask the same question in several different ways. What is the most important thing a person can do for God? What is the most significant thing a person can do for God? What is the most valuable thing a person can do for God?<br> The most important thing you can do for God is to let God reveal His glory through your life. The most significant thing you can do for God is to let God reveal His glory through your life. The most valuable thing you can do for God is to let God reveal His glory through your life.<br> Nothing we can do brings greater tribute to God, nothing more fully accomplishes God’s purposes than our allowing God to reveal His glory through our lives.<br> <br> * Unfortunately, most of us believe we have to be something we can never be before God can be glorified in our lives.<br> <br> * We just do not believe that the life we have, that the abilities we possess, that the life situation we are in can be used by God to bring glory to Himself.<br> <br> * If we were a person that it is impossible for us to be,<br> * If we could do things that it is impossible for us to do,<br> * If we had opportunities that will never exist for us,<br> * Then, if we were that other person, doing those impossible things, and having those impossible opportunities, God could use us to glorify Himself.<br> * But God cannot glorify Himself in us if we are who we are, with our situation, with our struggles, with our problems–or so we believe.<br> <br> <br> * About 2000 years ago some Christians came to that same conclusion.<br> <br> * Listen to what Paul said to them in 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 (read).<br> * If I understand that situation correctly, this was what happened.<br> <br> * Some converted Jews said, “If I had not been born and reared as a Jew, I could really serve Christ–I would not be steeped in all these legalistic, isolationist attitudes and perspectives that hinder me spiritually.”<br> * Some converted non-Jews said, “If I had not been born and reared in a family of idol worshipers, I could really serve Christ–but I don’t know anything about scripture; I don’t even know much about the true God.”<br> * Some converted slaves said, “If I were not a slave, I could really serve Christ–but I am not free, and so many things happen in my life that I have no control over.”<br> <br> <br> * Paul said, “Your thinking is completely misdirected–you miss the point.
