By Design: You & Your Crazy Supernatural Self

Have you ever seen a dog chasing his tail? Dogs are such sweet creatures. I don’t know whether they expect to ever catch that tail. Maybe some have! Most of the time, they just end up running in circles.

It’s sort of like what happens when people misuse and misunderstand a scripture, and then “stand on” that scripture as if it were gospel.

“God is no respecter of persons.”

I have heard this verse quoted countless times. It’s used often to say that God wills — and should be expected — to give everyone equal and the same supernatural experiences, giftings, or encounters.

It goes something like:

I see angels, and God is no respecter of persons, so He will make you see angels, too.

God tells me secret details about people’s lives in coffee shops to open the door for me to share the Gospel with them…and God is no respecter of persons…so He’ll do the same for you…if you…

…ask?

Okay so you have asked.

Well, if you ask believing…?

…No…I mean you have to really believe…

…not like make-believe believe…

…or maybe you’re just not praying enough…

…unless you are praying a lot, in which case, you’re obviously not praying right…

…or maybe if you fast for two weeks…

…oh, I know! You have unrepentant sin, or there’s someone in your distant past that you forgot about but with whom you created a soul tie and you still haven’t forgiven Aunt Bessie for eating your figgy pudding on Christmas so that’s definitely blocking your blessing…

…or maybe you should just ante up on the ‘wanting’ part, because God responds to those who are hungriest, who are most desperate to see angels…or give words of knowledge…or be a genius business builder…or whatever it is God should give to everyone the same because He is not a respecter of persons.

Right?

Religion vs Christ

STOP IT. STOP IT NOW.

Everything I just listed above…outside of personal direction from God’s heart to yours…are no more than proposed formulas for getting what you want from God.

The problem with formulas is that they remove the most vital element of your salvation: RELATIONSHIP!

They also put you on the throne…because you’ve determined for yourself what you ‘ought’ to have and what God ‘ought’ to give you…rather than trust in the great Provider that He promises you will “lack no good thing.” This is one of the ways God saves us from getting what we want but don’t need or shouldn’t have (like the wrong spouse…or a business deal He knows will leave us robbed and delayed of our progress). If we truly love the Lord but set our minds on what we want instead of Him…we will become double-minded.

That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1:7-8 NIV).

I have caught myself doing this. It is not enjoyable. Lord show us any place we’re walking in double-mindedness and thank You for gracing us to stop it (amen)!

If I have a formula then I have a religion. If I have a religion, I can make a transaction. With religious transactions, I read this, decree that, or repent and say 10,000 Our Fathers and I expect God to “grant” me the result I paid for with my religious works.

You must choose. You must either subscribe to religious exercises engineered and geared towards getting what you want, or whatever you believe you should have…

…or enjoy a living, breathing relationship with the God who promised to give you the desires of your heart as you simply delight in Him (Psalm 37:4).

Once I have given up the self-reliance (and witchcraft) of rote, willful formula, I am left with something infinitely more powerful and more wonderful: God Himself. I must know Him and I must know Him constantly. It’s not that He ever changes, but the Bible does say He is like the wind.

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit (Jn. 3:8 NIV)

God reserves the right to change direction as He pleases. The only way to stay in touch with such an adventuresome Person is to stay with Him…in the wind.

This, I think, is the secret to experientially discovering your own unique “superpowers.” Just…stay.

Remain in me, as I also remain in you (Jn 15:4 NIV).

As you live in union with me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from me you are powerless (Jn 15:5 TPT).

In practice, you should turn out at least a little weird…a little (or A LOT) different. Considering today’s standards for “normal,” fitting in might not be a good sign!

But let’s not digress.

Man cannot serve two masters.

We either believe and put our trust in the method…or we believe and put our trust in the Person. The point is not the method towards God but the voice of God towards you.

Capice?

Now let’s get better acquainted with this great scripture and see what comes to light. First…a little quick lesson…

Con-Text vs Sin-Text

In Spanish, “con” means with and “sin” means without. The Greek word often translated to English as “sin” is hamartia. It’s an archery term that more literally means to “miss the mark.”

Before you ever “stand on” another scripture I want you to promise yourself one thing: you will seek out the con-text and not the sin-text. If you stand on a scripture without its true context you may miss the mark of its meaning and find yourself standing on shifting sand. The result of this is always disappointment and often confusion.

God Does Not Favor the Pope

…at least, no more than He favors you.

This verse containing the oft quoted phrase “God is not a respecter of persons” is found in Acts 10:33-34:

[Cornelius said] Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.”

Here in The Passion Translation (TPT) we get the phrase “God does not show favoritism,” where elsewhere and often it is translated as “God is no respecter” or “God is not a respecter of persons.”

TPT notates the following concerning this verse:

a. The Aramaic is “God is not the God of hypocrites.”
b. The Greek is “God is not one who receives masks (faces).” God doesn’t treat us according to externalities but according to what is in our hearts.

God is not the God of hypocrites.

He doesn’t receive our “masks.”

He doesn’t show favoritism based on our religious or moralistic performances. He doesn’t treat us according to our outward displays.

God does not favor the Pope above you simply because he is the Pope…nor priest nor pastor nor missionary nor canonized saint.

If He did we would go right back to the ol’ formulaic, transactional, religious approach to pleasing Him or trying to be like other “approved ones” in order to garner His favor.

The Jewish religious leaders did that. They showed all the outward appearances of well-behaved altar boys, but Jesus rebuked the CRAP out of them, saying:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity” (Matthew 23:27 Berean Study Bible).

OUCH.

This phrase that God is no respecter of persons, or that He shows no favoritism, is not about the endowing of spiritual powers, gifts, callings, or abilities.

Only read the next verse to see as much for yourself.

“Peter said, “Now I know for certain that God doesn’t show favoritism with people but treats everyone on the same basis. It makes no difference what race of people one belongs to. If they show deep reverence for God, and are committed to doing what’s right, they are acceptable before him.”

He is no respecter of persons or outward appearances. All who reverence God and love righteousness are acceptable before Him. He will in turn offer gifts and spiritual powers to each of those accepted ones “as He chooses for each believer,” as in the scripture passage here:

1 Cor 12:8-11 TPT
The Spirit gives to one the gift of the word of wisdom.
To another, the same Spirit gives the gift of the word of revelation knowledge.
And to another, the same Spirit gives the gift of faith.
And to another, the same Spirit gives gifts of healing.
And to another the power to work miracles.
And to another the gift of prophecy.
And to another the gift to discern what the Spirit is speaking.
And to another the gift of speaking different kinds of tongues.
And to another the gift of interpretation of tongues.
Remember, it is the same Holy Spirit who distributes, activates, and operates these different gifts as he chooses for each believer.

You

You are God’s design. A love with infinite expressions requires infinite attributes and you are created with a design He has desired for Himself and as a gift to all creatures.

You are treasure. Treasure by definition is something rare and therefore highly valued.

In other words, the way God wants to be seen, felt, known, revealed, expressed in your life is unique to you.

He is no respecter, that is, He is not tricked or impressed by outward shows but knows the heart and accepts true adoration no matter the outward package. If you see angels or don’t see angels, it does not affirm His approval of you.

Christ dying on the cross for you did that.

“But Christ proved God’s passionate love for us by dying in our place while we were still lost and ungodly!” (Rom 5:8 TPT).

Let God create something different through you. Let Him have the unique expression He has desired in you.

We may have spiritual fathers and mothers whose faith we imitate…but as you grow in your personal relationship with Christ, dare to trust that He loves you and is well able to guide you into a glorious destiny…of your own.

“You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.” (Ps 73:24 NLT).

There is one Spirit, one Lord, one Jesus, one Father and many…countless…expressions.

Some weep…

Some laugh raucously…

…see spirits and angels…

…or have wild open visions.

Some preach with great power…

…lead worship…

…or float off the ground (yes, really…it’s historically documented).

Some build wildly successful businesses…

…play basketball…

…or understand children deeply.

Some do a few of these and more. God is expressed in them in these ways because He put it in their very design. It’s not the world around but the kindgom within you that blossoms and brings heaven to earth. You have only to be free enough to discover who you are for that to happen.

Fear of Freedom

Sometimes the hardest thing for us is just to live and be free.

We manage our behavior to our own ideals of “appropriateness,” seeing to it that no one’s got nuthin’ on me.

We self-correct ad nauseum.

Beloved, God is not a respecter of persons. He loves and accepts you equally with Jesus not because of your moral perfection but because you are in Christ.

Christ alone levels the playing field and makes all believers equal.

But as for your DNA, physically and spiritually: You are unprecedented. You are a one-of-a-kind sexy hot mess.

Too much self-criticism and micro-self-management place you on the throne of God.

How do you know it’s too much? And how do you know you’ve kicked God off the throne?

For one thing, you’ll probably battle with stress, anxiety, exhaustion, or depression, or some combination of these…

…because even if you’re right about where you’re wrong…you still are not “the way, the truth, and the life.” That is, you’re not the answer…but you do have the answer. The answer is a Person.

When He corrects, He heals.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death (2 Cor 7:10 NIV).

When the Lord reveals an opportunity for repentance, we don’t writhe in the slow death of depression because we are incapable of figuring our way out of it. The Lord’s revelation leads us to the change that saves and makes us whole.

Now, the “Lord” I’m referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom (2 Cor 3:17 TPT).

…free from worldly sorrow and the bonds of religion that got us there.

The Price & the Payoff of Freedom

As you and I say yes to this freedom we will have to do completely away with the fear of man. That fear is what spliced and diced our free expression in the first place, using shame and the mob to control what we would accept or reject of each other and ourselves.

In this freedom, we will say things that offend, and do things that challenge those close to us.

That is the cost we pay. It is the cost Jesus paid…remarkably…up to and including an excruciating execution.

But the promise is worth it. For our joy in freedom we will get still more joy in intimately knowing God, from moment to moment.

That freedom is the womb from which wonders and miracles are birthed, and where your superpowers happen. I thank God for your peculiar design, even though it occasionally irritates me. That irritation has also be called “iron sharpening iron,” and likened to the irritation that produces the pearl.

That you are uncomfortable does not make wrong the one who provoked your discomfort. That you are uncomfortable is first for you to grapple with, not them.

Let the Spirit of the Lord lead us to freedom that once frightened but now thrills us, which throws us totally at His mercy, thoroughly grounded in who we are and all that we love, yet agile as a leaf moved by the currents of the Divine Wind. Let Christ in YOU be revealed.

Anything else is chasing your tail.