This post too comes from Chapter Two as did the prior from the book “Call to Joy.” Another revealing glimpse for me! Again, my comments are italicized.
A wise man was once asked, “What do you think most needs to change in the world?” He replied, “I do.“ Most people do not consider themselves perfect, yet even though we recognize our need to change and grow, we often do not take a single step toward doing so.
We are held back by our fear of the unknown. We are scared of what we might become if we change. Absurd as it may sound, we are scared of the very thing for which we were created: our fulfillment. We are cautious about abandoning what we do and what we have (even if these are self-destructive) because we have found in these things some sense of security. Sadly, however, these are also what hold us prisoners to our limitations.
Many of us are scared to dream for fear that we might be disappointed. It is like a young woman who prays and dreams every day for that special young man to come into her life; then when he finally does, she becomes hesitant and wary, sometimes to the point that this confuses him and he walks away. She has focused on the fact that one day he might leave. Sometimes we are too hesitant to let our dreams become realities. And what she is focused on comes true.
Do not be afraid of your dreams coming true. Allow them to emerge and become realities in your life.
Only by envisioning what it is we want to achieve and then by the power of the Spirit of God that dwells within us are we able to achieve anything.
The things that we have, the things we do, and who we are form our identity. People identify with us according to these things, and our identity determines the level of respect we receive from people. Often we think we must acquire or do certain things in order to maintain this identity and sustain this respect. (Perhaps this coercion or blackmail is far worse than today’s identity theft.)
Change threatens this identity and respect, which are false and idolatrous when the things that form this identity and gain us respect are the very things that prevent us from walking with God. So many people are alienated from God by the things that they think give meaning to their lives but that in fact bring them nothing but emptiness, unhappiness, and only momentary pleasure.
You cannot both change and stay as you are.
What holds us back from changing are things that do not help but hinder, things that bring not life and happiness but death, self-destruction, and sadness. Very often these things are detrimental to both our physical and our spiritual health. In some cases God wants us to give up these things and replace them with much grander things. (Consider the June 4 post titled “Intro to Coaching 101” in paragraph 16 of the story of the children content to play in their back yard mud box when their parents really wanted to take them on a family vacation to the beach for a week…. Absolutely incomparable!) In other cases he wants us to be more moderate. But always we are being called to raise our sights do the things that are above, to envision our fulfillment.
The first positive step for the journey of the soul is to recognize that you are not completely fulfilled. And then you must acknowledge that you cannot become more fulfilled while you remain exactly as you are today. If you are not fulfilled and happy today and yet, tomorrow you do everything the same way you did today, do you actually believe that you will be any happier?
Perhaps what is holding you back is the fact that in the past you have tried to change and been unsuccessful. Often people see the need for changing their lives and make a particular resolution to accomplish it. Although they have the best intentions, these people often fail to achieve the desired change. Why? Because they are focusing on the negative.
There is no change necessary for your fulfillment and perfection that you are not capable of achieving with the assistance of the divine. Take some time to reflect on the power in this statement.
The answer to this problem is to replace the old activity with the new activity. A person experiencing a problem in the area of purity can respond in several ways. For example, if he is constantly glaring lustfully at women as they walk down the street, his response can be twofold. First, he can learn to admire the pavement instead of scanning everything as he walks down the street, thus limiting the input to his imagination. Then, with his imagination and attention now his slaves, he can use them to begin a conversation with Christ, and he can try to sustain this conversation always and everywhere, “praying constantly“ throughout the day.
Thus, far from focusing on the negative and the “sacrifice“ being made, he moves forward by replacing the activity being removed with one much more positive, beautiful, and fruitful to his development.
Focus on the good, the noble, the just. Focus on the positive and hope in God.
It is the replacement of one activity with another of greater meaning and value that makes attempts to change successful.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above. Colossians 3:1
You ever get the feeling recently there is much more to “seeking the things that are above” than you realized? God very ably has “raised us up” and apparently has placed the ball in our court to “work out our own salvation” as stated in Philippians 2:12.
Paul’s “working out” our salvation is very different from “working for” our salvation! He is simply explaining that our wonderfully free gift from God is already inside of us; it has already been downloaded and is in our RAM ready for us to access. By “seeking those things that are above,” we bring out those beautiful attributes and character traits by faith. It is our faith that works out what is on the inside of us, perhaps in the form of all those freely Holy Spirit given apps, certainly not us or our “works.” Perhaps this is one way we can see our inner salvation visibly through our outwardly manifested character? Remember, Paul instead of receiving the death sentence on the Damascus road, which he expected, was shown unfailing mercy and love that transformed him into one of the greatest apostles in the Bible.
Perhaps our first step in this faith building process is for us to finally realize we are not yet fulfilled, or even close? And neither will we be until we either become mentally incapacitated or experience death. In other words, God has much more yet to download in us to enhance our “character traits.” And unless I’m daily “Seeking first the kingdom of God,” I’ll remain clueless and oblivious to what all I’ve missed out on until the day I give my accounting. Remember the 5, 2, & 1 talents in Matthew 25:14-30?
And I will tell you from experience, that “living in the now” and being Spirit-empowered, is sorta like enrolling in auto pay for all your monthly bills, always on time every time, no mess, no fuss, no late fees. And what’s more, your spiritual “equity account” with Jesus, always has more than enough to see you through.
Blessings as YOU GO FORTH TODAY SEEKING FIRST THE KINGDOM>>>>>…..merlin