Entire industries exist with the primary purpose of helping us change what we don't like about ourselves. Fitness and diet industries. Beauty and fashion industries. To help us come to terms with traits that may be difficult or impossible to change, the counseling and therapy sectors offer their services.
What do these mega-billion dollar enterprises say about our individual self-concepts? Basically, that we will be satisfied with ourselves if and when we become who we want to be.
The problem: who I want to be is a moving target. As a child, I had certain ideas about what I should become personally and professionally. These goals evolved through adolescence and young adulthood, and are undoubtedly still evolving. Did I ever reach a single target before finding my focus had shifted to another? This cyclical approach to being is both exhausting and disappointing.
Scripture gives us a different perspective, however. Our goal, as Christians, is not to achieve some satisfactory physical or emotional state while on earth. Our goal is to fix our eyes on Christ, who is working to redeem all of Creation to its proper form and function. As Hannah Anderson writes:
"Our God is making all things new. He is making you new. And He can do this for the fundamental reason that all things flow 'from Him and through Him and to Him.' Including us. Especially us."
We were created in God's image, and are now being conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). This process will not be completed until we are in God's presence.
Anderson concludes, "One day, He will transform your lowly body to be like His glorious body... And one day -- oh, glorious day -- you will be like Him because you will see Him as He is. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Quickly Come."
What does this mean for Christians, who live here and now? First, that we can stop pursuing temporal "improvement" as our defining traits. And second, that God is working in and through us to accomplish His goals for our lives. We don't have to achieve a certain weight, flawless skin, or a profitable career. We only have to trust our days and our lives to the One who is making all things new.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Made For More (Chapter 11): Becoming Real - Living as a Work in Progress
We are God's work in progress. How should this make us feel? Hannah Anderson writes:
"As God transforms you to be more like Him, as your heart mirrors His more perfectly, you can expect two different things: (1) You should experience the ability to increasingly live as you were created to live and (2) You should also feel deeper pain when you do not. And it is this very pain that confirms that you are in the process of changing. This pain helps you remember that you are no longer the person you once were. Even on our worst days, then, even on those days when you feel so out of sorts that you hardly know yourself, you must remember that this discomfort, these growing pains assure that you are made for more.
"And this is why you must remember the past even if it is so broken and painful that you'd rather package it up in a box and shove it away in your soul's hall closet. You must remember the past so you can rejoice in who God is making you to be. Because as dangerous as it is to presume upon God's goodness and continue to live in your old identity, it is equally dangerous to overlook the work He has already accomplished and is accomplishing in you.
"When you do look back and you can actually see God transforming you, bit by it, ever so steadily, you can have hope. You can remember that this is His work and that what He starts, He will finish. You remember that because He has begun a good work in you, He must complete it. And amazingly this faithfulness -- God's persistent, steady faithfulness -- engenders our own faithfulness in response. When we remember all that He has been for us, it strengthens our faith in Him and our resolve to continue to find our true selves in Him. When we turn to behold His faithfulness, we end up reflecting it in our own lives (Hannah Anderson, Made For More)."
Friday, March 20, 2015
Made For More (Chapter 10): A Kind Providence - When Jesus Leads You All The Way
Do our lives both acknowledge the brokenness of the world and affirm the love of God as stronger?
Under the chapter subtitle "Victim Mentality", Hannah Anderson writes:
"Still, while a diminished view of His love can result in a diminished sense of self, a diminished view of His power can result in the exact same thing. If we view God as too weak to guide our lives, we will become small, fearful people, tossed by fate, always reacting to other people's choices. Instead of being defined by power and love, we will become defined by fear, anger, and impotency. Some people respond to this sense of helplessness by recklessly indulging their every desire in order to achieve some level of control. By doing only what they choose, only what they want, they expect to free themselves, but instead, they can quickly become mastered by their own lust, anger, and fear.
"None of which reflect God's character or allow us to live imago dei.
"When we fail to embrace God's sovereignty in the details of our lives, we become victims. And nothing strips us of our humanity faster than becoming a victim, if only for the simple reason that God is not a victim. He is a God of power and love and wisdom, and as His image bearers, we must be women of power and love and wisdom as well. In order to be who we were created to be, we must not only acknowledge the brokenness of this world, we must at the same time affirm that the love and power of God is stronger still (Hannah Anderson, Made For More)."
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Made For More (Chapter 9): Toward Perfect Union - Living Holistically in a Fractured World
Paradox is a difficult concept to define, much less to integrate into our understanding of theology. Basically, a paradox is a concept or person comprised of seemingly contradictory characteristics that are nonetheless true (or at least possible).
For example, God being both totally loving and completely just may seem like an impossibility. Yet we can ask ourselves: is God loving? Yes. Look at the extent to which Christ went to save sinners (the cross). Is God just? Yes. Look at the extent to which Christ was required to go to save sinners (the cross). The cross represents one of the most profound paradoxes our finite minds can entertain: the mercy of God and the wrath of God, simultaneously and completely illustrated.
Since we (humans) are made in God's image, Anderson argues, similar paradoxes exist within us as well. Our difficulty in understanding these seemingly opposing aspects of ourselves often leads us to polarized views in which one side or the other is completely ignored. For example, we are both body and spirit. However, some people devote their attention nearly entirely to improving their physical bodies, while others ignore their health in pursuit of spiritual improvement. A similar pitting against self often occurs in the matter of gender and personhood. Am I a woman or a person? Of course, I am both. As Anderson summarizes:
"While being a woman is essential to my identity, I am not 'simply' a woman. There is a part of me that transcends my gender, so in the end, regardless of how conservative we may be, we must all agree that a woman has more in common with a man than she does with a female cat! The paradox of identity is that I am both a woman who is a person and a person who is a woman. And this will never make sense until both my womanhood and my personhood are united in Jesus Christ... By embracing the paradox we discover not two separate truths about ourselves, but the beautiful simplicity that unites both. We discover the simplicity that can only be found in Him -- that can only be found in the One who can hold all things together (Made For More, Hannah Anderson)."
If we are made in the image of an infinitely complex (yet perfect) God, it follows that we would not be "simple" in makeup. This should not frighten or discourage us, but rather empower us to find our identities in the One who is all things good.
Question: What apparent contradictions have you noted in yourself, which are both nonetheless true?
For example, God being both totally loving and completely just may seem like an impossibility. Yet we can ask ourselves: is God loving? Yes. Look at the extent to which Christ went to save sinners (the cross). Is God just? Yes. Look at the extent to which Christ was required to go to save sinners (the cross). The cross represents one of the most profound paradoxes our finite minds can entertain: the mercy of God and the wrath of God, simultaneously and completely illustrated.
Since we (humans) are made in God's image, Anderson argues, similar paradoxes exist within us as well. Our difficulty in understanding these seemingly opposing aspects of ourselves often leads us to polarized views in which one side or the other is completely ignored. For example, we are both body and spirit. However, some people devote their attention nearly entirely to improving their physical bodies, while others ignore their health in pursuit of spiritual improvement. A similar pitting against self often occurs in the matter of gender and personhood. Am I a woman or a person? Of course, I am both. As Anderson summarizes:
"While being a woman is essential to my identity, I am not 'simply' a woman. There is a part of me that transcends my gender, so in the end, regardless of how conservative we may be, we must all agree that a woman has more in common with a man than she does with a female cat! The paradox of identity is that I am both a woman who is a person and a person who is a woman. And this will never make sense until both my womanhood and my personhood are united in Jesus Christ... By embracing the paradox we discover not two separate truths about ourselves, but the beautiful simplicity that unites both. We discover the simplicity that can only be found in Him -- that can only be found in the One who can hold all things together (Made For More, Hannah Anderson)."
If we are made in the image of an infinitely complex (yet perfect) God, it follows that we would not be "simple" in makeup. This should not frighten or discourage us, but rather empower us to find our identities in the One who is all things good.
Question: What apparent contradictions have you noted in yourself, which are both nonetheless true?
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Made For More (Chapter 8): Queens in Narnia -- Embracing Your Destiny to Reign
How do you define work? An undesirable task? A paid activity? Force times distance?
How we define work significantly influences our approach and response to our daily activities. If work is merely an undesirable task, joy can only be found in its completion (not the process). If only paid activities are considered work, then much of what we do on a daily basis may be considered "unrewarding". If W=F•d, as defined by Physics, most of us do little to no work every day (though honestly, I do much more of this "work" hauling around a toddler than I ever did in either my clinical or research residencies).
Our definitions should be based on Truth, which we (as Christians) discover through God's word. What does the Bible say about work?
Perhaps one of the most well-known verses on work is, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters (Colossians 3:23)." This passage destroys each of the previous definitions. Work is not an undesirable task, a paid activity, or the movement of an object with force. Work is whatever productive thing we find ourselves to do, and more: work is an opportunity to worship.
As Hannah Anderson points out, work does not occur solely outside (or inside) the home. "Being women who work imago dei means being women who are productive and sacrificial wherever we are because our God is productive and sacrificial everywhere that He is... Ultimately working imago dei means understanding that all work is sacred, all ground, holy; not because of what the task is but because of who we are imaging."
Does your "position" define your view of work (i.e. are you a businesswoman, a professor, a physician, or a stay at home Mom)? In what ways can God redeem your understanding of work as serving Him and others, rather than trying to "achieve" some preconceived goal?
How we define work significantly influences our approach and response to our daily activities. If work is merely an undesirable task, joy can only be found in its completion (not the process). If only paid activities are considered work, then much of what we do on a daily basis may be considered "unrewarding". If W=F•d, as defined by Physics, most of us do little to no work every day (though honestly, I do much more of this "work" hauling around a toddler than I ever did in either my clinical or research residencies).
Our definitions should be based on Truth, which we (as Christians) discover through God's word. What does the Bible say about work?
Perhaps one of the most well-known verses on work is, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters (Colossians 3:23)." This passage destroys each of the previous definitions. Work is not an undesirable task, a paid activity, or the movement of an object with force. Work is whatever productive thing we find ourselves to do, and more: work is an opportunity to worship.
As Hannah Anderson points out, work does not occur solely outside (or inside) the home. "Being women who work imago dei means being women who are productive and sacrificial wherever we are because our God is productive and sacrificial everywhere that He is... Ultimately working imago dei means understanding that all work is sacred, all ground, holy; not because of what the task is but because of who we are imaging."
Does your "position" define your view of work (i.e. are you a businesswoman, a professor, a physician, or a stay at home Mom)? In what ways can God redeem your understanding of work as serving Him and others, rather than trying to "achieve" some preconceived goal?
Friday, February 27, 2015
Made For More (Chapter 7): Lady Wisdom -- Thinking God's Thoughts After Him
Biology: the science (study) of life. Anthropology: the study of past human civilizations and culture. Theology: the study of God.
In this chapter, Anderson begins by pointing out that the translation of the root word "logos" (Greek) as "word" contains an inherent reference to the idea behind that word. The Gospel of John identifies Jesus as the Logos, not only as the expression of God's thought (the "word") but as the perfect embodiment of the intent behind the thought. In studying the person and life of Christ, we are actually studying the very nature of God. This is precisely why our study of Scripture and understanding of Christ is essential to true Christianity.
Unfortunately, time spent in practical "service" of God often crowds out opportunities for truly knowing Him. In Luke 10, the contrasting approaches of sisters Mary and Martha allow for Christ's instruction on what is "better". While Martha was busy "doing" what she believed to be helpful to Christ, Mary was at His feet -- both learning and worshiping. Anderson's comments on this story take into account the long, drawn out conflict between encouraging education or domesticity among women (as an aside, this should not be an either/or issue).
"... what if education -- what if learning and thinking and knowing -- is less about what you do with your knowledge than it is about the person you become in the process? What if learning is less about how to make a living and more about how to live?"
"... what if education -- what if learning and thinking and knowing -- is less about what you do with your knowledge than it is about the person you become in the process? What if learning is less about how to make a living and more about how to live?"
Approaching spiritual learning as a discipline rather than a hobby stands in direct contrast to the traditional women's ministry attempt to embody passages of Scripture addressed specifically to women ("pink passages", as Anderson calls them). Without a doubt, certain passages help us understand what being a Christian woman (or man) looks like practically. But many more Scriptures are dedicated to describing Christian life in general -- and these apply equally to men and women.
"When we identify first and foremost as women, we can begin to believe that knowledge of ourselves will come primarily through passages that speak to women's issues or include heroines like Ruth or Esther. But when we do this, when we craft our learning and discipleship programs around being 'women,' we make womanhood the central focus of our pursuit of knowledge instead of Christ. And we forget that those 'pink passages' were never intended to be sufficient by themselves... We forget that nothing about them will make any sense if they are not first grounded in the truth that we are destined to be conformed to His image through Christ."
Think about your experience in women's small groups and Bible studies (or in reading Christian women's books and blogs). Has the focus consistently been on being more Christ-like? Or are there long, convoluted digressions into being more "Christian-woman-like"? The Proverbs 31 woman is not our standard: Christ is. And while there exist many beautiful aspects of Godly womanhood, these were not meant to take precedence over our pursuit of Christ.
Questions:
1. Does "acquiring Godly wisdom" make it to your to-do list on most days? How would you act differently if your day's activities were viewed through this lens?
2. Do you find it easier to pursue "Christian-woman-like" accomplishments than Christ-like character? How can you challenge this tendency in your life and the lives around you?
Questions:
1. Does "acquiring Godly wisdom" make it to your to-do list on most days? How would you act differently if your day's activities were viewed through this lens?
2. Do you find it easier to pursue "Christian-woman-like" accomplishments than Christ-like character? How can you challenge this tendency in your life and the lives around you?
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Made For More (Chapter 6): Good, Gracious Me -- Cultivating a Large, Generous Soul
"For a society that prides itself on tolerance, we are also a society that fundamentally lacks grace when we interact with each other. You only have to read blog comments, listen to talk radio, or watch what happens when a scandal breaks -- when some public figure makes a mistake or fails at his duties or says something inappropriate. If he's an ideological opponent, we quickly become rabid animals, gleefully watching his demise. If we are his supporters,we insist that he did nothing wrong, even as we know that he probably did.
"And in either case, there is no forgiveness; there is no redemption. No public apology is sufficient. No attempt to pay back is enough. No acknowledgment of guilt or repentance will ever be adequate. And we wonder why the people closest to us -- in our homes and churches and schools -- have a hard time acknowledging their own failures. Could it be that we've faithfully demonstrated to them that there will be no grace when they do?" - Hannah Anderson
The centrality of the Gospel is that we (people) are not good. We need a Savior. When we mess up (and we will), we need grace. When we practice extending grace to others, we are reminded of the grace that is daily (and hourly) extended to us by God.
As we go through our days, we should celebrate inconvenience and disappointments as opportunities to be gracious. This perspective will remind us of the Cross -- of the grace upon grace poured regularly into our lives, and the love of God towards perfectly loved, imperfect people.
Questions:
Have you noticed a paucity of grace in your daily interactions? How do you respond when things don't go as planned? How do others respond when you make a mistake? What would our world and our homes look like if we did not expect people to act perfectly all the time?
"And in either case, there is no forgiveness; there is no redemption. No public apology is sufficient. No attempt to pay back is enough. No acknowledgment of guilt or repentance will ever be adequate. And we wonder why the people closest to us -- in our homes and churches and schools -- have a hard time acknowledging their own failures. Could it be that we've faithfully demonstrated to them that there will be no grace when they do?" - Hannah Anderson
The centrality of the Gospel is that we (people) are not good. We need a Savior. When we mess up (and we will), we need grace. When we practice extending grace to others, we are reminded of the grace that is daily (and hourly) extended to us by God.
As we go through our days, we should celebrate inconvenience and disappointments as opportunities to be gracious. This perspective will remind us of the Cross -- of the grace upon grace poured regularly into our lives, and the love of God towards perfectly loved, imperfect people.
Questions:
Have you noticed a paucity of grace in your daily interactions? How do you respond when things don't go as planned? How do others respond when you make a mistake? What would our world and our homes look like if we did not expect people to act perfectly all the time?
Monday, February 16, 2015
Made For More (Chapter 5): Looking for Love -- How Your Heart Makes You Who You Are
Think about the last time you were frustrated with someone you care about deeply. Most likely, this interaction resulted from one (or both) of you wishing the other person was making different choices.
In Colossians 2:6-7, Paul outlines the antidote to false identity. "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."
When we are rooted in Christ, our faith will be strong and our hearts thankful. When we are not, our choices will reflect the wanderings of our hearts. And if we repent, Christ is both able and eager to save us -- even and especially from ourselves.
Hannah Anderson summarizes this situation nicely. "[People do what they want]. You can discover what a person loves -- where she finds identity -- by observing the choices she makes. More significantly, you can discover what you love -- where you find identity -- by observing the choices you make."
This is a compelling line of logic. If examining our choices can tell us what we love (and ultimately, who we are), perhaps our search for identity has been merely an excuse for not facing what we could easily know about ourselves. Anderson suggests asking the following questions:
"What do I spend my time doing?
What do I think about most?
What do I talk about?
What do I fight to protect?
What can make me angry?
"What do I spend my time doing?
What do I think about most?
What do I talk about?
What do I fight to protect?
What can make me angry?
What will I sin to achieve?"
Take a few minutes now to respond to each of these questions. Which one(s) made you most uncomfortable? Did you discover anything about your values that you had not previously realized?
If we are honest, our efforts and affections are more often directed towards self-gratification than glorifying God. When Jesus taught the two greatest commandments were loving God supremely and loving our neighbors as ourselves, He knew we were incapable of such selflessness. Of course, we try. We invent all kinds of programs and self-help approaches to becoming "better" people. But the message of the Gospel is that while we can never achieve God's standards, Christ satisfied God's demands on our behalf. Furthermore, His sacrifice empowers us to live God-honoring lives.
Anderson concludes, "When we talk about love and law, then, we are not talking about two different things that must balance each other out. When we talk about law and love, we are talking about the depth and fullness of God's character: a character we are intended to reflect in all its complexity... Those who rely on legalistic rules as a way to gain God's love miss that He already loves them. And those who insist that God's love transcend His rules miss that those very rules were given because He loves them. In this sense, legalism and sentimentality are branches of the same tree; at root, they are attempts to find identity -- to love -- apart from God."
Anderson concludes, "When we talk about love and law, then, we are not talking about two different things that must balance each other out. When we talk about law and love, we are talking about the depth and fullness of God's character: a character we are intended to reflect in all its complexity... Those who rely on legalistic rules as a way to gain God's love miss that He already loves them. And those who insist that God's love transcend His rules miss that those very rules were given because He loves them. In this sense, legalism and sentimentality are branches of the same tree; at root, they are attempts to find identity -- to love -- apart from God."
In Colossians 2:6-7, Paul outlines the antidote to false identity. "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."
When we are rooted in Christ, our faith will be strong and our hearts thankful. When we are not, our choices will reflect the wanderings of our hearts. And if we repent, Christ is both able and eager to save us -- even and especially from ourselves.
Friday, February 6, 2015
Made for More (Chapter 4): Made Like Him -- Finding Your Life by Losing Yourself in Him
The phrase "born again" conjures up a variety of feelings and thoughts for most people. It has been used both as a categorical insult and a "members only" badge of sorts.
But what did Jesus really mean when He said "you must be born again?"
"Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again'." - John 3:5-7 (NIV)
Not be surprised? Had anyone ever been born twice? This was the question Nicodemus had asked immediately prior to hearing the verses above. In His response, Jesus was differentiating for the Jewish ruler the difference between physical and spiritual life. Both must begin at a distinct time.
As Anderson wisely points out, however, being born is not all there is to life. Indeed, it is only the beginning. The emphasis among Christians is often on a one-time spiritual rebirth, when in fact there is so much more to Christian life.
"When Jesus said that 'you must be born again', He was speaking about when and how spiritual life begins, not where it ends. Because while it is true that we cannot live unless we are born, it is also true that our lives cannot be reduced to the moment we enter this world and breathe our first breath. Finding identity in Christ cannot be confined to one moment, because union with Christ is not simply an event; it is a state of being, a way of existing. When we are united with Christ, He becomes the source of our life. He is our lifeblood, pulsing through our veins; he is our breath and the air we breath. We are not only reborn in Him. We live in Him (Anderson)."
This is brilliant imagery. As we grow and mature in our faith, we are becoming less like we were, and more like Christ.
"When you commit yourself to Christ, He will make you the purest, most authentic version of yourself. As He removes your sin, He will strip away the things that have kept you from reflecting His glory and having your existence illuminated by His. And as He does so, you will regain a complete sense of self (Anderson)."
When we find ourselves in Him, we are no longer bound by legalistic demands or personal striving. And such is the Good News! We are not on our own, struggling to become more like a perfect Savior. That Savior is working in us daily to make us more like Him.
As Anderson concludes, "God intends to reflect His identity through your identity. What He is, you will become. He is holy; you must be holy. He loves; so you must love. He forgives; so you must forgive... And yet, these are no longer legalistic demands placed upon us, demands that constantly mock our failure and inadequacy. They are not demands; they are His promises -- promises that He is fulfilling through Jesus Christ."
Questions:
1. What does the metaphor of being "born again" mean for us, in light of an ongoing life (not a one-time event)?
2. How does an identity shaped by the work God is already doing in us (as Christians) provide freedom from legalism and striving?
But what did Jesus really mean when He said "you must be born again?"
"Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again'." - John 3:5-7 (NIV)
Not be surprised? Had anyone ever been born twice? This was the question Nicodemus had asked immediately prior to hearing the verses above. In His response, Jesus was differentiating for the Jewish ruler the difference between physical and spiritual life. Both must begin at a distinct time.
As Anderson wisely points out, however, being born is not all there is to life. Indeed, it is only the beginning. The emphasis among Christians is often on a one-time spiritual rebirth, when in fact there is so much more to Christian life.
"When Jesus said that 'you must be born again', He was speaking about when and how spiritual life begins, not where it ends. Because while it is true that we cannot live unless we are born, it is also true that our lives cannot be reduced to the moment we enter this world and breathe our first breath. Finding identity in Christ cannot be confined to one moment, because union with Christ is not simply an event; it is a state of being, a way of existing. When we are united with Christ, He becomes the source of our life. He is our lifeblood, pulsing through our veins; he is our breath and the air we breath. We are not only reborn in Him. We live in Him (Anderson)."
This is brilliant imagery. As we grow and mature in our faith, we are becoming less like we were, and more like Christ.
"When you commit yourself to Christ, He will make you the purest, most authentic version of yourself. As He removes your sin, He will strip away the things that have kept you from reflecting His glory and having your existence illuminated by His. And as He does so, you will regain a complete sense of self (Anderson)."
When we find ourselves in Him, we are no longer bound by legalistic demands or personal striving. And such is the Good News! We are not on our own, struggling to become more like a perfect Savior. That Savior is working in us daily to make us more like Him.
As Anderson concludes, "God intends to reflect His identity through your identity. What He is, you will become. He is holy; you must be holy. He loves; so you must love. He forgives; so you must forgive... And yet, these are no longer legalistic demands placed upon us, demands that constantly mock our failure and inadequacy. They are not demands; they are His promises -- promises that He is fulfilling through Jesus Christ."
Questions:
1. What does the metaphor of being "born again" mean for us, in light of an ongoing life (not a one-time event)?
2. How does an identity shaped by the work God is already doing in us (as Christians) provide freedom from legalism and striving?
Friday, January 30, 2015
Made For More (Chapter 3): East of Eden -- When Everything Goes Terribly Wrong
Scripture records that man and woman were made in God's image. How, then, can we live in a world where atrocities are daily committed within and around us?
"Ours is a world of tragic paradoxes. A world where people labor under backbreaking conditions and still are unable to support themselves and provide for their families; a world where vulnerable children are trafficked like animals, bodies and souls sold to the highest bidder; a world where the wealthy waste resources as nations slowly starve to death; a world where men and women routinely destroy themselves through addiction in a desperate attempt to escape the brokenness.
"And if we're completely honest, we have to admit that the brokenness isn't simply around us. This brokenness invades our own souls. Instead of God's glory radiating through the prism of our lives, much of the time it is obscured and darkened. Instead of owning our legacy as image bearers, we wander around half-human... trapped in his awkward fog, we exist in a twilight zone between what we were and what we hope to be." (Hannah Anderson, Made For More)
The conflict can be traced back to the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve chose to reject God's law and pursue their own. Since then, each human has experienced opposing pulls: in one direction towards God's perfect law, and in the other towards self-determination.
Anderson notes that, "when we turn to other things for knowledge, when we define ourselves by things like our work, our relationships, our giftedness -- even our pain -- we create an alternative source of identity." This identity is unstable and flawed, unlike the true and unchanging nature of God by which we were created.
What is the solution to this war within us? As is the answer to so many things, simply: Jesus.
"When the time was right, He came as a child to rescue His children. Because we had left Him, He came to us. Because we would not humble ourselves, He humbled Himself. Because we would not obey, He obeyed perfectly. And because we live lives of death, He lived and died to free us from them." (Hannah Anderson, Made For More).
Or in the words of a much older Book:
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)
Jesus is the answer. He has come for us, in our confusion and in our rebellion. He has come to bring us back to glory.
"Ours is a world of tragic paradoxes. A world where people labor under backbreaking conditions and still are unable to support themselves and provide for their families; a world where vulnerable children are trafficked like animals, bodies and souls sold to the highest bidder; a world where the wealthy waste resources as nations slowly starve to death; a world where men and women routinely destroy themselves through addiction in a desperate attempt to escape the brokenness.
"And if we're completely honest, we have to admit that the brokenness isn't simply around us. This brokenness invades our own souls. Instead of God's glory radiating through the prism of our lives, much of the time it is obscured and darkened. Instead of owning our legacy as image bearers, we wander around half-human... trapped in his awkward fog, we exist in a twilight zone between what we were and what we hope to be." (Hannah Anderson, Made For More)
The conflict can be traced back to the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve chose to reject God's law and pursue their own. Since then, each human has experienced opposing pulls: in one direction towards God's perfect law, and in the other towards self-determination.
Anderson notes that, "when we turn to other things for knowledge, when we define ourselves by things like our work, our relationships, our giftedness -- even our pain -- we create an alternative source of identity." This identity is unstable and flawed, unlike the true and unchanging nature of God by which we were created.
What is the solution to this war within us? As is the answer to so many things, simply: Jesus.
"When the time was right, He came as a child to rescue His children. Because we had left Him, He came to us. Because we would not humble ourselves, He humbled Himself. Because we would not obey, He obeyed perfectly. And because we live lives of death, He lived and died to free us from them." (Hannah Anderson, Made For More).
Or in the words of a much older Book:
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)
Jesus is the answer. He has come for us, in our confusion and in our rebellion. He has come to bring us back to glory.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Made for More (Chapter 2): Imago Dei -- Life as It Is Meant To Be
Carpe diem.
Pièce de résistance.
Mele kalikimaka.
Pièce de résistance.
Mele kalikimaka.
Some expressions convey complex meaning, even in a foreign language.
How about this one: imago dei?
Literally, this phrase means "in the image of God". Theologians have used it for centuries to refer to the nature of human creation. While God's fingerprints are evident on all of His creation, His likeness is best seen in man and woman. What does this mean for us? Hannah Anderson describes the implications of imago dei in the following way:
"When Genesis teaches that we are made imago dei, it is doing more than simply explaining how we came into existence or offering an argument for why we should respect and care for one another. By revealing that we are made in God's image, it is revealing how we are to exist, how we are made to live, and what it means to be human. Being human means sharing God's nature in some way; being human means living as He lives and doing what He does."
Anderson goes on to discuss how being created in God's image impacts our individual identities. First, we are made to live in relationship with God, because we belong to Him. Jesus clearly depicts this relationship in his response to religious leaders who asked whether or nor taxes should be paid to the government. We belong to God, because we were made in His image. Everything we are is His.
" 'Show me a denarius [a coin]. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?'
They said, 'Caesar's.'
He said to them, 'Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.'
And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent (Luke 20:24-26)."
Second, living imago dei means maintaining healthy relationships with others. Our interactions should communicate the truth that all people are precious to God.
Third, living according to God's image means accomplishing the work He entrusts us in ways that honor Him. As Anderson notes, "this third element of identity flows directly from the first two. If existing in communion with God and others is who you are designed to be, then stewarding creation is what you were designed to do. And yet, we cannot separate the being from the doing -- a hammer is a hammer both because of how it is shape and what it accomplishes."
What would our lives look like if we truly lived imago dei? Like everything we are and everything we do belongs to God? Like all of our relationships reflected God's love for all people? Like any task or job we undertook was done to bring Him glory? Take a few minutes to outline specific changes that would occur if you lived according to this perspective.
Oh, and carpe diem... imago dei.
How about this one: imago dei?
Literally, this phrase means "in the image of God". Theologians have used it for centuries to refer to the nature of human creation. While God's fingerprints are evident on all of His creation, His likeness is best seen in man and woman. What does this mean for us? Hannah Anderson describes the implications of imago dei in the following way:
"When Genesis teaches that we are made imago dei, it is doing more than simply explaining how we came into existence or offering an argument for why we should respect and care for one another. By revealing that we are made in God's image, it is revealing how we are to exist, how we are made to live, and what it means to be human. Being human means sharing God's nature in some way; being human means living as He lives and doing what He does."
Anderson goes on to discuss how being created in God's image impacts our individual identities. First, we are made to live in relationship with God, because we belong to Him. Jesus clearly depicts this relationship in his response to religious leaders who asked whether or nor taxes should be paid to the government. We belong to God, because we were made in His image. Everything we are is His.
" 'Show me a denarius [a coin]. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?'
They said, 'Caesar's.'
He said to them, 'Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.'
And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent (Luke 20:24-26)."
Second, living imago dei means maintaining healthy relationships with others. Our interactions should communicate the truth that all people are precious to God.
Third, living according to God's image means accomplishing the work He entrusts us in ways that honor Him. As Anderson notes, "this third element of identity flows directly from the first two. If existing in communion with God and others is who you are designed to be, then stewarding creation is what you were designed to do. And yet, we cannot separate the being from the doing -- a hammer is a hammer both because of how it is shape and what it accomplishes."
What would our lives look like if we truly lived imago dei? Like everything we are and everything we do belongs to God? Like all of our relationships reflected God's love for all people? Like any task or job we undertook was done to bring Him glory? Take a few minutes to outline specific changes that would occur if you lived according to this perspective.
Oh, and carpe diem... imago dei.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Made for More (Chapter 1): Who Am I? Courage to Question, Faith to Find the Answer
Picture yourself sitting around a table with a group of people you've just met (business or social setting). Introductions have begun, and you've been nominated to start. What do you say about yourself?
"Hi, I'm (so-and-so). I'm a (Job description? Familial role? Native of such-and-such a place?)."
How we describe ourselves has much to do with our source(s) of identity. Hannah Anderson (Made for More) addresses this concept head-on:
"Instead of wrestling with the deeper questions of life, we distract ourselves and find identity in things like relationships, jobs, political causes, or hobbies. We check boxes, make lists, and categorize ourselves by race, religion, and socioeconomic status. We calculate our bodies in pounds,inches,and clothing sizes,all in an effort to gain the security that comes from knowing exactly who we are and where we fit into the grand scheme of things. After all, if I know that I am a married, blond-haired, blue-eyed, extroverted, mother of three who studied liberal arts, writes, likes to travel, watches classic movies, and enjoys long walks on the beach, then certainly I must know who I am, right? Right?"
"Instead of wrestling with the deeper questions of life, we distract ourselves and find identity in things like relationships, jobs, political causes, or hobbies. We check boxes, make lists, and categorize ourselves by race, religion, and socioeconomic status. We calculate our bodies in pounds,inches,and clothing sizes,all in an effort to gain the security that comes from knowing exactly who we are and where we fit into the grand scheme of things. After all, if I know that I am a married, blond-haired, blue-eyed, extroverted, mother of three who studied liberal arts, writes, likes to travel, watches classic movies, and enjoys long walks on the beach, then certainly I must know who I am, right? Right?"
She goes on to discuss the unsettling of supposed "identity" that occurs when our roles/categories change. This issue is near to my heart, as I have found myself flying (seemingly recklessly) through many life changes in the past few years: marriage, residency, motherhood, part-time employment, staying at home, and planning a move abroad. Am I still myself? Despite the changes in my relationships (primarily friendships, as everyone in my cohort moves through similar role changes), is my identity stable?
This question presents itself most clearly in introductory settings, since the seemingly natural response after exchanging names with a stranger is typically, "What do you do?" What does this question mean? What do I do for fun? For gainful employment? For my family? For the destitute? For the Kingdom of God? Clearly, answers to some of these questions are more important than others. Yet none of them fully encompasses the issue of identity.
Scripture teaches that Christians are defined not by our accomplishments or relationships, but by Christ's righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:14-21). This is a beautiful thing. We no longer have to strive for acceptance or sufficiency. We belong to the One who is all-sufficient. How would our concepts of identity change if we truly defined ourselves by Christ's work rather than ours?
Would this reality change the way we thought about ourselves? Introduced ourselves? Interacted with our brothers and sisters? This week, I challenge you to pay attention to the way you define yourself as you make an introduction. Afterwards, ask whether the way you want others to see you is the way God already sees you.
Question:
1. Complete the following introduction as you typically would in a social setting. "Hi, I'm (so-and-so). I'm a (Job description? Familial role? Native of such-and-such a place?)."
1. Complete the following introduction as you typically would in a social setting. "Hi, I'm (so-and-so). I'm a (Job description? Familial role? Native of such-and-such a place?)."
2. Think about this verse: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
What does this truth mean for your self-reported identity in question 1?
What does this truth mean for your self-reported identity in question 1?
Monday, January 12, 2015
Made for More: An Invitation to Live in God's Image (Hannah Anderson)
"Honestly, these are not the right questions. The real question is, who are you as a person created in God's image? Until we see our identity in His, we're settling for seconds. And we were made for so much more..." (Made for More, back cover)
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We will be reading through this book over the next few months, according to the following schedule. Please feel free to sign up to write the blog for whichever chapter interests you!
Part One: From Him...
1. Who Am I? Courage to Question, Faith to Find the Answer (post by January 17th) - Liz
2. Imago Dei: Life as It Is Meant to Be (post by January 24th)
3. East of Eden: When Everything Goes Terribly Wrong (post by February 1st)
1. Who Am I? Courage to Question, Faith to Find the Answer (post by January 17th) - Liz
2. Imago Dei: Life as It Is Meant to Be (post by January 24th)
3. East of Eden: When Everything Goes Terribly Wrong (post by February 1st)
4. Made Like Him: Finding Your Life by Losing Yourself in Him (post by February 8th)
Part Two: And Through Him...
5. Looking for Love: How Your Heart Makes You Who You Are (post by February 15th)
6. Good Gracious Me: Cultivating a Large, Generous Soul (post by February 22nd)
7. Lady Wisdom: Thinking God's Thoughts after Him (post by March 1st)
6. Good Gracious Me: Cultivating a Large, Generous Soul (post by February 22nd)
7. Lady Wisdom: Thinking God's Thoughts after Him (post by March 1st)
8. Queens in Narnia: Embracing Your Destiny to Reign (post by March 8th)
9. Toward Perfect Union: Living Holistically in a Fractured world (post by March 15th)
10. A Kind Providence: When Jesus Leads You All the Way (post by March 22nd)
Part Three: And To Him
11. Becoming Real: Living as a Work in Progress (post by March 29th)
12. Hope of Glory: Eternal Life in the Here and Now (post by April 5th)
9. Toward Perfect Union: Living Holistically in a Fractured world (post by March 15th)
10. A Kind Providence: When Jesus Leads You All the Way (post by March 22nd)
Part Three: And To Him
11. Becoming Real: Living as a Work in Progress (post by March 29th)
12. Hope of Glory: Eternal Life in the Here and Now (post by April 5th)
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