Who Do I Think I am?

This past week I was talking with a friend. We were sitting in the main room downstairs in the dorms with approximately eighty people around whether upstairs in the main room we were or shuffling in between. He asked me, "What's something that has been a struggle for you?"

I began to explain, "Hanging out with the different groups that come down is probably one of the hardest things for me because I'm not a game playing, small talk person. I'd rather sit down discuss; what's going on in your life? what's God doing? how are you? etc. I want to create a relationship with someone then play games because then I know the relationship we have is based off of more then frivolous things."

All the while one of our mutual friends was sitting across the room playing a game of Egyptian Rat Screw (a card game) with the some of the group. He responded in love, "But when she(referring to our friend playing the game) sits down to play a game she is saying 'You matter to me. I'm taking time and investing it in you.' She's building a relationship with them as they play the game. Not everyone is like you and is able to dive into discussion and open up that way. We have to be all things to all people."

I didn't really know how to respond. It wasn't that I felt "burned" by what he said but that he was right. Who do I think I am? That I am able to say this is the way I am so if people have to do it my way because I'm not stepping out? I immediately thought of how one day I will be, Lord willing, sharing the gospel with Muslims in their culture - being all things to them. But who do I think I am that I can do that there but I can't even do it here with people of my culture?

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
_1 Corinthians 9:19-23
(italics, bolding mine)

It's not just about when I get there someday, yes be thinking about it but be living it out now. I wrote about this quote from another friend a little while ago, "I have Salvation and I know if should affect my everyday life. But what does that look like?" One way is to live all things to all people every day; now and then also when I get to wherever the Lord leads.