Self Fulfillment is Overrated

I’m a life coach. It’s my joy to sit down with another human being and help them figure out just what they’re on this planet for. One of the aims of life coaching is to see people realize their full potential and fulfill their unique life purpose. Explicitly, and implicitly, implied in coaching is the idea that personal fulfillment is at the end of the rainbow of realized potential and purpose.

Now, to a large extent this is true. However, when we make anything simply about us, personal fulfillment becomes a short lived, fleeting, and rather illusive experience. The simple attainment of goals is not all that satisfying, at least, not for very long. Something much more significant must be added to the equation for the results of realized goals to have their ultimate impact in the heart of an individual.

We humans have been hard wired to serve a purpose that is larger than ourselves. When the purpose we are pursuing becomes measurably shrunk down to the size of ourselves, we become gutted of that which was designed to grant us our sense of significance. Significance does not come from simply feeling good about myself and my accomplishments. It comes from a higher source.

We were made to make a difference in this world for the sake and benefit of others, and, ultimately, for the glory of God. A life well lived is one that has enabled others to live well. Our temptation is to grasp and run after personal fulfillment. In the end we lose it. But if, on the other hand, we give ourselves for a purpose that eclipses our own life, in the end we find it.

For whom are you living?

Image Is Everything

A number of years ago, now, Cannon put out a commercial with the catch line, "Image is everything". I remember thinking back then how that line captured the prevailing value of our culture. A few blogs back I wrote on how our American culture seems to be fixated on image - that outward or public view others have of us governed by the values of good looks, outstanding talent, noticeable accomplishments, wealth, etc., etc., often overlooking, or minimizing the issue of character. But there is another, far more positive, side to "image" I want to address.

In the book of Genesis, it is recorded that God made man and woman "in his own image". No other part of creation is mentioned as having this unique stamp. But what exactly is God's image? And, based on what we can know about God, in what ways were we created to be like him? Theologians have spilled a lot of ink attempting to answer those questions.

Now, before we become too pompous, on the one hand, or disillusioned on the other, one thing we can immediately put to rest is the idea that this image has anything to do with a physical resemblance. God is Spirit and does not possess the corporal or physical qualities of man.

In attempting to understand the image of the Divine we need look no further than the person of Jesus. Want a perfect picture of what God is like? Take a good long look at his Son. Jesus put it this way, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father". And as followers or apprentices of Jesus it is clear from scripture that we are in a process of being transformed into his likeness.

If Jesus is “the exact representation of his (God’s) being”, and, as his follower, I am being transformed into his likeness, it stands to reason, then, that the more I reflect Christ the more I am fulfilling God’s original intention and purpose for my life.

But, again, what did that original “likeness” entail, and in what ways or capacities is that image being restored in Christ? Most theologians agree that one of the most significant aspects of God’s image of which we were created has to do with a moral likeness.

Unfortunately, holiness and righteousness have, more often than not, received a bad rap due to misrepresentation. However, God's holiness is described as a form of beauty in scripture. God is actually adorned in holiness and righteousness. These attributes make him beautiful, attractive beyond words. When they are manifested in you and me, his, and thus our own beauty, is revealed.

Another way to understand God’s holiness and righteousness is to see it as that which is completely and utterly separate from and opposite to all that brings trouble, heartache, violence, misery, division, strife, and death to people and this planet. In other words, God’s holiness stands in direct contrast to all that makes life on this planet ugly.

But let’s break this down a little further. What actually goes into this moral likeness to God? When I think about this question my thoughts go back to Jesus. Descriptions come to mind like strong in character, capable of standing for what is right under opposition, courageous in speaking the truth, kind, compassionate, forgiving, powerful in doing good (that which truly benefits), clear sighted in terms of what’s really important, a man of his word (integrity), merciful, gracious, generous, powerful in word (speaks with the authority of first hand knowledge and experience), and loyal, just to mention a few.

Here’s the deal. The world is in desperate need of this kind of beauty. We were all created with the capacity for it. We’ve blown it, but Christ came to restore it. Now, in Christ that original beauty is being renewed. For those of us who have chosen to follow Christ, one primary purpose remains, to reflect his beauty in the world around us.

When we stop to think about it in these terms, image really is everything!

Belief and Behavior

Have you ever thought about the connection between what one believes and how one behaves? What might we learn about someone by watching their behavior over a protracted period of time? All of us are really open books and to the observant we can be read fairly easily.

Your world view, the things you believe to be true about life, about yourself, about God, about why you are here, etc, etc, form the platform on which you live out your life. Beliefs are very powerful in this regard. Beliefs can lead someone to spend their life caring for AIDS victims in Africa, or on the other hand, lead another to drive a plane into a building killing thousands of people. These two very opposite behaviors both spring from a foundational belief system and world view.

The person confined to a padded room and straight jacket, thinking the CIA have surrounded his room, and the young dad, just home from a hard day's work, playing with his young son on the carpet, are both acting from a belief system that has come to define their view of life, reality, and help shape their behavior.

What we have come to believe and accept as true, as reality, shapes our lives in ways we aren’t even aware of most of the time. Observe you own life. Make note of your actions and choices over a period of time. What might they reveal about what you really believe or at least what your true core values are? I understand any of us can act “out of character” at times, but our behavior over the long haul always tells the truth.

Herein lays the importance of truth, and true reality, as it relates to the process of spiritual formation. Jesus said it beautifully, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”. In another place he made this amazing declaration, “I have come to give testimony to the truth”. When John is introducing Jesus in his gospel, he makes this breathtaking pronouncement, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth”. When it comes to the things that contribute most to our spiritual formation, grace and truth are right up there at the top of the list, and both are embodied in the person of Christ.

Jesus lived and taught a new reality. He brought a radical new paradigm of truth that resulted in turning the world “upside down”, or should we say right side up. The truth he embodied became the dividing point of human history. A whole new way of viewing God and his relationship to people shook the known world then and continues to shake it today. Those who embraced him by faith became carriers of this new reality…this belief system….this world view….this truth, and the world has never been the same.

The challenge for us who are followers of Jesus is to make sure we are seeing (believing) from his point of reference. One of my favorite quotes comes from my pastor, Bill Johnson, who says, "Jesus is perfect theology". Oh, so true! On the other hand, bad theology has lead to all kinds of horrific and idiotic acts of behavior.

If we wish to be apprentices of Jesus who become like him in his actions than it is imperative we think like him – that our view of reality is his view of reality. This is what it means to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. When my belief system and world view becomes shaped by Truth (by Jesus), in such a way that my thoughts, emotions and actions are deeply impacted, then I can expect my behavior to become increasingly more like his.


“…... as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17b NKJV)

Living Favor Minded

Something amazing happened last Saturday evening. My family and I were at a football game my 17 year old high school senior was playing in. This is only Ryan's second year playing football. He went out his freshman year but ended up sitting on the bench for the season. He opted not to play his sophomore and junior year. For some reason he chose to go out again his senior year and has ended up on the starting defensive squad as corner back. He also plays on all special teams.

As the game got underway, I found myself hoping he would do well and not make any major mistakes or suffer any injury. I have to admit, tracking down negative paths has tended to come rather natural for me. Anyway, somewhere into the second quarter, I consciously made a shift in my thinking and began to declare God's favor over Ryan. I declared that Ryan was a favored son and asked God to make that favor visible by allowing him to make a pick (an interception) and run it back and even score a touchdown (a pick six).

I had been declaring these things only for a few minutes when suddenly a pass from the opposing quarterback was tipped by his intended receiver and was grabbed in the air by Ryan. Ryan charged off down the field managing to out run two pursuing defenders. As he approached the end zone, he was pushed from behind, fell forward, and landed in the end zone for a touchdown. He had covered 63 yards on the return. Luanne and I were ecstatic. The pick and run back alone were amazing. The touchdown was icing on the cake. I was impressed with the speed he crossed those 63 yards.

As I was taking it all in and celebrating I began sputtering to Luanne, trying to explain to her what I had just been declaring over Ryan. This was no coincidence. God had responded to that faith declaration over Ryan, and he had done so almost immediately. I was awed. Later in the game I again declared more favor over him, and once again, within a few short minutes, Ryan made his second pick of the game.

Now, I'm not suggesting there was some kind of magic in my words. What I do believe is that God was teaching me a simple yet profound lesson regarding the connection between my thoughts, my words and my faith.

Days prior to this game I had began reading a book by Joel Osteen entitled "Your Best Life Now". I had come across this book at my mother-in-law's on a visit to Sacramento and just casually began reading it. Now, you must understand, Joel Osteen has never been on my list of favorite authors and I have rarely listened to him on TV. However, as I began reading this particular book I sensed God saying to me, "Joel has something to say to you. Hear him out". So I borrowed the book and brought it home.

Joel is, what some might label, an eternal optimist. Every page resonates with his positive, faith filled attitude. You would have to be a deeply committed pessimist not to find yourself being encouraged and hope beginning to rise a little higher just by his positive outlook and the stories illustrating his points. However, for one whose default mode tends toward the negative, Joel's perspective and language can, at first, come across as something a bit trumped up. Something along the lines of a spiritual "happy meal". As I was able to put my biases aside, his words of encouragement were feeling more like a refreshing splash of cold water on a hot day.

The truth of the matter is, those of us who are followers of Jesus really have every reason to be the most encouraged and positive people on the planet. This is not to say that we will not encounter hardship, disappointment, discouragement, heartbreak, or any other difficulty that is common to the human condition. It is to say, we should have a perspective, based on a belief system in God and his view of us, that transcends all that stuff, and can provide in the midst of it, an abiding hope, joy and optimistic outlook. Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33b NIV)

What Joel was reinforcing in my thinking is that we need to live not for favor but from favor. That little shift is huge. As one who has already been accepted by God in Christ, I am a favored child. I have been seated with Christ in heavenly places! That's quite a position of favor if you ask me. Living favor minded is simply accepting the truth of God's love and delight in us and trusting the goodness of his heart toward us. His thoughts and plans for us are not to harm us, but to prosper us and to give us a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Glory Restored

What do you long for, wish and hope for? What do you dream about and desire for your life? How about for the ones you love and the world at large? When you take the time to reflect on the things that are most important to you, what kinds of things occupy your mind? Is it to be beautiful or handsome, strong and courageous, bright and insightful, at peace with yourself and others, or perhaps financially prosperous and successful? Is it to see your children flourishing in every area of their lives and to see your marriage full of richness, love, romance and sweet friendship? To see the world at peace, where all people regardless of race, color, nationality, or social status are treating one another with honor, respect, and dignity? The list could well be endless.

My personal list includes things like being confident, courageous and at peace with who I am. I imagine being in great physical condition, about being wise and insightful. I daydream about being independently wealthy and able to give and spend money in any way I may choose. I also reflect and imagine what it would be like to be really close to God, to live my life in a manner that reflects one who knows and walks intimately with him. I also dream about owning a Victory motorcycle, looking cool in riding glasses and full leather, enjoying the open road.

What do these thoughts, dreams, and desires reveal about us? I believe most people entertain, even if only seldom, dreams and aspirations which reflect, though dimly, a glory we were originally intended for. In other words, much of what we deeply and inwardly long for arises from a very legitimate source, one that is directly connected with our original destiny, our original glory, if you will. Living in a world, however, where thousands of years of human history shout an opposite reality, hope tends to gets smothered and the glory veiled.

There’s an amazing verse in the Old Testament which prophetically speaks of something the coming Messiah, Jesus, would not do, while at the same time implicitly revealing what he would do. It is found in Isaiah 42:3 and it reads, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.”

Have you ever felt like a bruised reed or a smoldering wick….like life has turned you every which way just short of stomping you in the ground and putting your lights out? I have. What we have to learn not to confuse is God’s heart with everything else that works against the glory of which we were originally designed. In contrast to breaking, God’s heart is to mend. In contrast to snuffing out, God’s heart is to gently fan back into a flame. In other words, God’s heart is to restore – to restore things back to his original purpose and to their original glory. Growing in Christ is a process where our original glory is being restored, “from glory to glory”.

Listen to these words from Marianne Williamson, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

“Christ in you, the hope of glory”

Doing and Becoming

Do you view your life more as a series of events to be a part of, destinations to arrive at, and tasks to be done, than as a journey of becoming a particular kind of person? Granted, life is full of things to do, places to go, tasks to accomplish, responsibilities to attend to. There really is no end to the "doing" part of life. But, who are you and who are you becoming? Does it really matter and why?

Observing contemporary American culture one gets the impression that accomplishing things and accumulating things far out weighs any concerns about the kind of people we are or may be in the process of becoming. Image, that outward view and perception others have of us, which is typically based on looks, talent, athletic ability, charisma, intellectual brilliance, or even the doing of "good" deeds, tends to rank very high as a core value of our culture. But all these accomplishments or natural attributes can be accomplished or possessed by people of very little character. Built-in social restraints may be able to reign in poor character for a season, but as we often witness in the public arena, who we really are eventually shows up in one way or another.

Up against this value of "image" which our culture, and honestly everyone of us, so carefully protects, stands the example and teaching of Jesus. He said such things as, "a bad tree cannot bear good fruit", and "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks". His emphasis was always on the the kind of person one is or is becoming, for he knew that it is out of the content of a person's character that flows the nature of a person's deeds. It's that simple. We produce what we are. A good tree produces good fruit. A bad tree produces bad fruit. The deeds of Jesus flow out of the person he is. How often we attempt to reproduce the deeds of Jesus while trying to short cut around the process of becoming the kind of person he is.

Being is all about process and not first of all about performance.

Learning the Hard Way

Needless to say, we are in tough economic times. Even with the recent passing of over a 700 billion dollar "stimulus" package, the economic prospect for our nation still does not look good. Prognosticators of all kinds are predicting at best a small improvement to the economy over the next few years to an all out depression, potentially leading to revolution, at worst.

To be sure, we have gotten here by our own accord. Rampant mismanagement on the part of our leaders, as well as the creation of a spend and debt culture, have landed us in this predicament. A lot of people and families are hurting. In my own county, unemployment is at twelve percent. I happen to be part of that twelve percent.

But, as in everything, there is a lesson to be learned here. As money is tight, jobs are continuing to be lost, and the light at the end of the tunnel not yet in sight, a great many of us are having to reevaluate priorities and values. The list of things that are really important is beginning to be rewritten, rearranged, and shrink. The longer these tough time persist and the more difficult things become economically, it is my guess more things will find their way off that list, and the list of priorities go through even further rearrangement. Difficult times typically force us to reevaluate. This is a good thing.

I have been reassessing some things myself, particularly my own relationship with money. As a follower of Jesus and his Kingdom I have known, at least intellectually, there exists a difference between God's view of money and the view typically held by secular society. Jesus taught a great deal about money, what our relationship to it should be, and about our stewardship of it. What has dawned on me is that my practices regarding money and material things tends to simply reflect, in large part, the attitude and practices of the secular culture in which I live. Let me explain. Earlier I referred to how, as a nation, we have turned into a spend and debt culture. The practice of a great many Americans is, perhaps I should say has been, to spend what we earn, and to go into debt for what we want. The simple practices of frugality, saving, reigning in our wants, or at least postponing immediate gratification instead of going into debt, and having money on a regular basis to give to others in need, have not particularly characterized the average American consumer. Based on this plumb line I have not fared much better than the average American. I really believe that if I had been applying these practices more faithfully I would be in a much better place today financially.

What's really behind the consumer, spend now pay later, mentality and practice of our culture? Why is it we tend to spend the maximum of what we make and are so ready to go into debt for our wants? In all reality, it is a value system where money and the things that money can buy reign supreme. When things, more things and bigger things, and the drive to get the money that buys them, is a core value of our life in practice, we really do convict ourselves of serving the god of Money. Jesus put it bluntly, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money".

I am not opposed to material prosperity, nor do I believe there is something inherently bad or evil with being wealthy. The Bible simply warns of certain spiritual dangers associated with wealth and the desire to get rich. And one does not have to be wealthy to be challenged by the temptation of placing money and things as a priority in their lives. This is a particular challenge living in an affluent and materialistic culture, where the serving of money and things is so prevalent.

This issue of money and the things it buys really is a matter of the heart. In the context of the quote above Jesus instructed his followers, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Money is not the problem, it is the love of it, or the consumption with, competition for and a scramble to accumulate the things money can buy.

As I read and reread the book of Acts in the Bible, I am struck by the vitality of that first century church and the resultant impact it had on the world of it's day. Those early believers practiced what Jesus had taught. They lived the value system of the Kingdom of God and as a result, in the span of one generation, they had literally turned the known world upside down. Their lifestyles, which included their practices regarding money and things, engendered both admiration as well as persecution from their culture.

To a large extent, that same potential vitality, for the church in America, has been hijacked by an accommodation to the value system of our current culture. As followers of Jesus, perhaps we need to look at this current economic crisis as an opportunity to reorient ourselves to the value system of God's Kingdom. Let's reexamine our own attitudes and practices regarding money and establish the priority of God's Kingdom as the true priority of our life.