I think it is good to evaluate your life, your strengths, weaknesses, desires, and to set goals accordingly. However, on our own strength we can do only so much. I submit that for too long we have been drinking the kool-aid of humanism...the belief that we can lead lives of "personal fulfillment" without the supernatural (i.e., without God). Speaking for myself, my self-imposed and self-enacted "resolutions" generally fade with time. Under the pressures of everyday life I tend to slip back into old habits. It was probably frustration over such failures that led to the statement "My new year's resolution is not to make any resolutions!"
What if instead of making a list of resolutions you sought vision for your life? Something that resonated deep within you, that you knew to be from beyond yourself, and perhaps even for which you were created? Vision that gave your life greater direction, purpose, and meaning? Wouldn't that be worth pursuing? I can attest that such a thing is possible, I have experienced it. So has my wife. As have countless other Christians. My prayer is that you too would too, even though yours would certainly be unique to you. I would like to stimulate you to pursue such vision this year!
The source of my finding such meaning, purpose, and vision has been from my faith in Jesus Christ. Christianity teaches that our Creator has good plans for us, plans to give us hope and a future (1). Jesus himself taught us to "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need" (2). The Psalmist (David) exclaimed "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart" (3). The point is, God wants us to pursue him and the result will be an increase in his vision for our lives, which he prepared for us even before we were born (4)! Why settle for less than learning about your calling, discovering the deepest desires of your heart, living with the hope that there is a bigger picture out there and you get to play a special and unique part in it? Wow!
C.S. Lewis said "...if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased" (5).
To encourage you to accept this challenge for the new year, here is an exciting promise from God: "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland" (6). Do you want a fabulous "resolution" for 2012 (or any year, month, or day for that matter!)? Let God do this for you! It is possible and available to anyone who asks him.
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Footnotes:
(1) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
(2) Matthew 6:33
(3) Psalms 37:4
(4) Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Ephesians 1:4
(5) The Weight of Glory, an Essay by C.S. Lewis.
(5) Isaiah 43:19
It is absolutely possible to live a life of personal fulfillment without the supernatural, for the simple reason that it likely doesn't exist at all. Realizing that you are the author of your own life may be scary at first, but it is necessary to function fully in reality. The vision of life presented by many religions is that it is a mere test, a temporary stint on earth during which you must please an invisible entity in hopes of avoiding punishment. People are told to trade away their opportunities, their time, and even their urge to avoid death, in hopes of receiving heavenly treasure -- I think they are getting swindled. This is the brand of kool-aid humanity would do well to avoid. The life we have on earth is probably the only existence we will ever have, and that makes it all the more precious.
ReplyDeleteGordon: Thank you for your comment. If being the author of your own life would happen to involve harming or trampling the rights of others, would that be acceptable in order to obtain personal fulfillment? If not, why? If you believe that, say, human rights are real, where does that come from? If there is no God, then whether we are loving or cruel makes no difference in the end because no one will be around to remember it anyway. On what or whose authority can anyone say that one choice is better than another? You say life is precious, but even the atheistic thinker Raimond Gaita reluctantly acknowledged that no statement by atheists about the preciousness of life has the power of the religious in speaking on the topic…that we are sacred because God loves us, his children. Your observation that many religions teach sacrificing in this life to obtain heavenly treasure and save oneself from punishment deserves a response. Your underlying assumption is there is no experiential component of the supernatural in this life. In some of my posts I have described aspects of Christianity (I don’t speak for all religions) such as healing, restoration of our hearts, and hearing from God. There are events in my life that I KNOW were from God. My niece was sick to the point of possibly dying and the doctors could not explain why. But her health rapidly improved after I and others prayed fervently for her healing. Multiple times I found the type of job I prayed for though the odds against it were staggering. Long ago I was in a deep darkness but suddenly I felt God’s comforting presence with me while others prayed for me unbeknownst to me. I know others who have had similar experiences. Some may attribute these to coincidence or chemical reactions in the brain. But the collective body of my experiences along with the supernatural peace they brought make that highly unlikely.
ReplyDeleteBecause of the length, this response is in 2 parts…I accepted Christ as my savior and Lord at around the age of 12. Since that time, I have memorized and meditated on many scriptures, not to have “head knowledge” about God, but to know God and abide in Christ (John chapter 15). This relationship has not been a “work hard and hope for heaven” religion. It is a dynamic relationship where I pour out my hopes and desires to God and seek His guidance for my life. It is very personal and yet all a part of His big plan. Several examples of the personal nature of the relationship are experiences I have had recently: About a year and a half ago (several months after my father passed away), God gave me a vision in a dream: I was in a city, but alone, standing outside facing a big, old farm truck that was nearly overflowing with apples. I knew in the dream that it was up to me to distribute the apples or organize the distribution of the apples or they would all rot within days. If I would somehow organize this distribution of apples, they would be a blessing to many people. I was also very aware of how easily I could be distracted, turn away from the truck, ignore the apples and go on with life and just let them rot. I was aware that no one would know if I chose to miss the opportunity; it was going to be a personal choice for me. How do I know this was a vision from God and not just a crazy dream? Well, I could not forget it. I often thought of it, prayed about it and asked God the meaning of it. I am a cautious, detail oriented person & slow to change. (Continued in next comment below).
ReplyDeleteContinued from previous post… But, over the next few months, it became apparent to me that I should resign my position as a part time nursing educator. I finished that position in Oct. 2010. Since that time, I have become the prayer coordinator for Manhattan Young Life and Dale & I are co-leaders, along with two other couples of a home LIFE Group (Learning Biblical truth, Interceding, Fellowship, Extending life to others). I mentor several women and teach on occasion at our LIFE Group and women’s Bible Study. At one point, I was frustrated and asked God, “How should I be spending my time?” I was walking from the kitchen to our screened in porch as I asked the question. I was startled by an immediate response “Use the skills you have learned to teach people about my kingdom.” The response was not an audible voice, but was distinct and clear in my spirit. This has happened on numerous occasions to me and it is so distinct that I always remember the location where I was when God spoke. When I was preparing for the first time that I would teach at our LIFE Group (on the topic of prayer) God spoke and told me this would be the beginning of the “passing out of apples”. Prior to that first teaching, I was listening to a CD by John Eldredge on “Spiritual Warfare for Women”. At the end of the CD, John was saying a prayer. I was thinking about and praying for a specific friend who is having some struggles, when I felt a distinct sensation go down and then up the trunk of my body and the words in my spirit, “Fear is leaving”. This so took me by surprise and is something I have never experienced before. I don’t look for experiences and I am a rather inhibited type person. But, what powerful & personal words for me to hear…as a child, I was painfully shy. I would nearly get sick with anxiety prior to giving talks or demonstrations at 4-H club meetings; In high school, I quit voice lessons promptly after finding out that I would be required to sing a solo at a recital and I let my grade in “Government” purposely drop, so that I would be 3rd ranked in my graduating class instead of 2nd (I did not want to give a speech at graduation!); and because of anxiety I had diarrhea prior to nearly every clinical when I was in nursing school. So, the message “Fear is leaving” is very personal and powerful to me! About three weeks ago, I met one of the women that I mentor at a local coffee shop. We talk about current issues we are facing in life, scriptures that can help give direction related to those issues and pray together. As I drove away from that meeting, I prayed for the person I had met with and an overwhelming sense of God’s favor overcame me. I have never had this happen before, but it was clear. Wow! What a privilege to walk with God through life and be a part of something much greater than me!! I cannot imagine a better way to live.
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