The Popeye Principle
“I yam what I yam”
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:9-10
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5
Popeye’s well known mantra, “I yam what I yam and that’s all that I yam,” expresses a basic truth. We are what we are, and there is no way around that. God made us to be who we are. The Bible says that He knew us, even in our mother’s womb. Does that mean that we can blame God for our faults and shortcomings? Hardly. We live in a fallen world, a creation that is flawed by sin. And, we are created in His image, and endowed with freewill. We have the ability to make choices…good or bad, you decide.
“I Am who I Am”
13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.” Exodus 3:13-14.
“Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I Am!” John 8:58
When Moses met God in the burning bush on Mount Horeb, he was told to go tell Pharaoh “Let my people go.” A doubt-filled Moses asked what he should tell the Israelites and Pharaoh when they asked what this god’s name was. God replied simply “I Am who I Am. He was cutting through all of the theological, philosophical, and metaphysical red-tape and gobbledy-gook (to use technical terms), and telling it like it was…I AM who I AM. Simple, and to the point. Before there was anything else I AM. When nothing else remains, I AM. When there seems to be nothing in this world that is good, that makes sense, that is fulfilling, that meets your needs, that makes you complete, …I AM. When Jesus was speaking to the crowds around the temple in Jerusalem, He confronted them regarding their unbelief. He responded to their questions with the statement “I Am.” This was like telling the crowd that His name was the same as God’s. “I Am” was the name God had given Moses and the children of Israel when He delivered them from bondage. The Jews who heard this wanted to stone Jesus for his words. They understood exactly what Jesus was implying with His choice of words…He was God.
“It is what it is..”
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned. Romans 5:12
Boy, my wife really hates this phrase. The first time I innocently uttered it in response to one of her questions, she replied “What exactly does that even MEAN!” It is what it is…it means, well, what it means. It is simple, straight-forward, it leaves no wiggle room, no other explanation is needed…it is…what…it is. That also describes the entire human races status as sinners… unfortunately, it is what it is. Adam and Eve were placed in a perfect world, in a garden, with no concept of pain or death. They walked and talked with God every day. Satan entered into the picture and questioned God’s one rule to Adam and Eve. The couple who were made in the image of God and who had been given the wonderful gift of freewill used that gift and made a choice to disobey. Sin separated mankind from God, all of creation was corrupted, pain and death became the new norm. Adam and Eve were tossed out of the garden, and I imagine Eve turned to Adam and said “Why did we do that? What are we going to do now? How is it that we went from perfection to THIS!” And while it is not recorded in the story of creation, I am quite sure Adam turned to Eve and uttered quietly with a slight shrug “It is what it is…”
“Be all that you can be”
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. I Corinthians 9:24-27
In the Eighties and Nineties, the United States Army had a slogan… “Be all that you can be!” The meaning of course was that joining the Army would allow you to reach your full potential, to overcome all obstacles placed in front of you and to reach the goal, whatever that goal may be. Paul wrote to the Corinthians in his first letter that they were to run the race in such a way that they would win. To strive for the goal, to reach their full potential, to be all that they could be in running the race of this life and win the prize, God’s pronouncement at the end of our life “well done my good and faithful servant.” But of course, God is the God of more than just “it is what it is.” God made a way, through his Son Jesus. Even though we as mankind “are what we are”, sinners from birth, we too can be more. Because God is also the God of redemption, of second chances, of new beginnings. He can make us a new thing, a new creature, or as Nicodemus was told “be born again.” Because God said “I Am who I Am,” we can be who we were meant to be. We were created to be in fellowship with God. Sin separated us, changed us, and corrupted us. But through Jesus, we can be made new. We can once again walk and talk with God daily, just as Adam and Eve did in the garden. We can “be all that we CAN be”, what we were created to be, and what God intended and desires us to be.
Don’t be a “Wimpy” Christian!