The REAL Self-Realization

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you..." Matthew 4:19

The psychology field has a lot to say about self-realization.  It's our ultimate need, says Maslow, the thing after which we strive.

So do many Christians.  It’s a selfish pursuit, say some.  Just one more piece of evidence that collectively and individually, we’re slipping into a state of absolute consumption with self.

While self-realization is an obvious result of a blatantly individualistic culture, I don’t think self-realization and faith are diametrically opposed.  As with many ambitions, the way self-realization is understood and pursued as god in our society is skewed.  The intense focus on finding what makes you happy and discovering who you want to be can be sickening, but the hope of self discovery is not a devilish concept in and of itself. 

I contend that today’s pursuit to realize one’s individual identity, strengths and potential is primarily a distortion of the sanctification process.  We all agree and sense that we are not yet what we were created to be, and so we long to find that person, our true self, that God designed in His own image.  Without a clear understanding of the Gospel, this process is like a pre-teen without a license taking the wheel.  We aren’t supposed to be in the driver’s seat and we don’t really know where we are going or why.  We just want to move, progress, transform, grow, but we don't know where, how, or why.

Without the salvation story, we miss out on the crux of our story, i.e. we are being developed by a Sovereign God into men and women who reflect His character, creativity and beauty.  This is intended to give God His deserved admiration and devotion, not primarily to make us happy.

Although many have ignored the operator and the forgotten goal of these self-realization efforts, it is a valuable process.  In the gospels, we see Jesus reeling in His first disciples by promising to make them into something that they would be but were not yet.

Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men.

John Calvin said “without knowledge of self, there is no knowledge of God.”  His proposition is somewhat audacious.  Shouldn’t God be so set apart from us that knowing ourselves would lead us away from His perfection?  By this statement, are we claiming to be like God?  No, experience proves it true: Knowing ourselves, the created, leads us to knowledge of the Creator.  Indeed, a severe reckoning with our self helps us glean something of God’s character.  The sin within repulses us because somehow we have an idea of what perfection is and how we fall short.  We are thus drawn to that perfection.  The semblances of purity we find in our self then reflects God in us and reminds us of Him. 

Scripture shows us that pursuing knowledge of self and knowledge of God are two intertwined adventures meant to be embarked upon within the same journey.  Jesus promises to “make” the disciples should they “come, follow.”  Following leads to knowing and with every step, we know more of ourselves and more of the King we serve.  Jesus is in the business of making, and there is much joy in participating in that process with Him as discover our true selves.

Lessons from Autumn

Something happens in me every autumn- something beautiful and refreshing.  The colors, the relief from heat, and the feeling of a fresh new start all collide to create a sense of awakening.  Years of the rhythm of the school year have created an unmistakable association with this season- the old is gone, the new is come! 

Ironic though that it's the death of foliage that heralds this awakening.  It's not new birth, it's death.  Those striking colors all result from the degeneration of trees and bushes as they prepare for winter hibernation.  Day after day, leaves change color and drop to the ground to be trampled and slowly disentegrate. 

It may sound odd, but God uses trees to teach me.  I'm not an animist, but for four years now, I can pinpoint specific lessons God had for me by drawing my attention to nature, and specifically to trees.  This season is no different.
The Christian life could not be possible without death.  Jesus' sacrificial death and powerful resurrection are the avenue by which we gratefully inherit eternal and abundant life.  God does not waste death; He uses it. 
Likewise, He calls us to death.  We see this most clearly in Matthew 10:38,

"Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

The life God designed for us is found through death- both Jesus' and our own death to the god of self.  Death is not only meaningful and purposeful for the Christian, it is beautiful as God so lovingly reminds us at this time of year.

The Levity Effect

Life has been getting really serious lately.  Jeromy is looking for a job, my employer just went through a round of lay-offs, and a double dip recession is officially upon us.  Socially, I've been spending lots of time with acquaintances and friends alike talking about serious subjects: anxiety, depression, insecurity, and loneliness.  It's not all necessarily bad serious though.  Friends are also having babies, getting married, and landing jobs.

It could be the dark mornings and cold evenings, but whatever the reason, everything and everyone seems so SERIOUS lately. 

So I enjoyed spending the first two hours of my Monday morning in the "corporate world" on this project:

Fondly entitled "P-Section Pumpkin," this entry in our office's annual pumpkin carving contest heralded some much-needed laughter (and won!).  It also led me to look for more opportunities to employ the Levity Effect, as my coworkers call it, at work and home.  In sum, LIGHTEN UP!

So here's to taking ourselves a little less seriously, whether it be by creating borderline graphic pumpkin displays or laughing at the minor freak-out you had yesterday.  God has a sense of humor, so why shouldn't we?

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22