Being and Doing

I had a conversation the other day with a young woman about her life decisions. She, like many other young men and women are wrestling with the question of what to “do” with their life. I remember all too well the pressure of trying to make a life decision at the ripe age of 17.

So, as I sat across from this young woman who is wrestling with this question, I asked her a different question. “Who do you want to be when you grow up?” I explained that our doing comes from our being. We can do many things with our lives but not all of us can be the people we want to be. Many of us go to school for a certain time period to learn and train to do a job. For many of us we can go to a job and leave a job. We spend 30, 40, 50, or even 60 hours a week doing what we have given our time, energy and resources for. But who is that person working that job? What are they living for? Does their doing define their being? Is this all that there is to life, doing?

We are human beings’ not human doings’. So, I asked her who do you want to be? This then begs more questions that we have to be able to answer. Who or what is shaping our being? Because we are all becoming like someone so choose wisely.

Give and Take

“Anything with life in it can flourish only if it abandons itself to what lies beyond it, eventually to be lost as a separate being, though continuing to live on in relation to others.” (Spirit of the Disciplines, 56)

We all like to think of ourselves as independent persons. We have our own thoughts, opinions, likes, and dislikes. Human life is very complicated. For whatever reason we have been given the great honor and glory to be at the top of everything created. Human life has so much ability to do good or to do evil. But what Willard so amazingly points out is that the only way life can flourish is if the individual gives way to the total. Life is give and take. Nobody’s life exists in a vacuum. We give and we take. The questions are, what am I giving my life to and what am I taking for my life?

What We're Meant To Do

“So humankind’s job description is clearly stated. We were not designed just to live in mystic communion with our Maker, as so often suggested. Rather, we were created to govern the earth with all its living things – and to that specific end we were made in the divine likeness.” (Spirit of the Disciplines, 48)

Well, here I am again. I’m at that place in life, asking the questions, “What am I doing here?” “What is my purpose?” Well, as Willard points out, the answer to my questions are found in the beginning of Genesis. We all, myself included, are to “govern the earth with all its living things”. Can it really be that simple?

This doesn’t answer my questions, how am I going to pay my bills, how do I raise my kids, how do I plant a church, or any number of the thousands of questions I am seeking answers to in how to live my life. At first glance, I think Willard is simply speaking in a platitude. But as I read and re-read what Dallas wrote I am amazed at how packed the statement above really is.

First, we were created to govern “with” all living things. This doesn’t mean that I somehow have the weight of the world on my shoulders. Every single person is to govern with each other. This means that we are to work in unity to govern existence.

Second, we do this because we were made in divine likeness. In other words, we can’t do this apart from our Creator. The only way we can govern creation is in relation to the one who set everything into motion.

Third, everything we do is important because we have a purpose or mission. No matter what we choose to put our hands to we now use this to govern our world. Whether work or play or sport or invention, everything that we are and do revolves around governing the world we live in. This means that everything we do matters and everyone matters.

The Power of Faith & its Works

“Works are simply a natural part of faith. James’s statement is about the inherent nature of faith, about what makes it up. It concerns what believing something really amounts to. It is not an exhortation to prove that one has faith or to work to keep one’s faith alive.” (The Spirit of the Disciplines, 38)

I am in anguish as I write this because Christianity has become something that if we believe all the right things about God then we are saved from hell. Yet, these very people, my neighbors, my co-workers, my fellow church people walk around in utter despair. They are living in hell right here, right now. I see it all to often people know all the right things but lack power of faith. Faith is something that should invigorate us. The power of faith should compel us in every aspect of our lives. Faith should bring us hope. It should bring joy to our hearts. It should cause us to want to work harder, to learn more, to love our neighbors, to become the best spouses and parents. Faith should cause us to listen more intently, to laugh so hard that our belly’s hurt, our eyes water, and our cheeks hurts. Faith should make us come ALIVE!

Willard posits, “The human body was made to be a vehicle of human personality ruling the earth for God and through his power. Withdrawn from that function by loss of its connection with God, the body is caught in the inevitable state of corruption in which we find it now.” (42)

We have become so caught up in learning about God that we have lost our connection to him. The power that comes with faith is no longer because we have equated “more education” about God equals more intimacy. One famous church father, Augustine, said, “our hearts are restless until we find rest in God”. (Confessions) May we desire a connection with God in all that we do. May our faith be overflowing with power and substance. May we never settle for anything less than Jesus. May our spirits be a in touch with the great Spirit.

I have hope that all this may come to be. I know that I need the church to grow in a powerful faith. I need my sisters and brothers in Christ to walk along side of me as I learn to become like Jesus, giving myself to the greatest faith I have ever experienced.

Life and Death

Which is more important regarding salvation, Jesus’ life or death? Many Christians want to answer, “both”. But in their heart of hearts many Christians actually lean towards Jesus’ death. Why? Because we have been made to understand that the cross is where Jesus died for our sins and we can now be forgiven through his blood. While this is true, we have put too much emphasis on salvation coming from his death rather than his abundant life.

What was Jesus’ proclamation? Repent, (literally means to turn around) for the kingdom of God is near (at hand, present, now). The trajectory of the New Testament is aimed at “a new kind of life” that Jesus was exhibiting. The disciple John tells us that Jesus came so that we may have this amazingly new over abundant life (John 10:10). It wasn’t Jesus death that attracted his early followers. It was his life! This new life was an amazingly more than enough kind of life that comes with living in the kingdom of God. All Jesus’ death did was to prove that not even death could stop it. Who doesn’t want that kind of life?

“The resurrection was a cosmic event only because it validated the reality and the indestructibility of what Jesus had preached and exemplified before his death – the enduring reality and openness of God’s Kingdom. (Spirit of the Disciplines, 37)

Jesus had a body and so do I

“It is precisely this appropriate recognition of the body and of its implications for theology that is missing in currently dominant views of Christian salvation or deliverance. The human body is the focal point of human existence. Jesus had one. We have one. Without the body in its proper place, the pieces of the puzzle of new life in Christ do not realistically fit together, and the idea of really following him and becoming like him remains a practical impossibility.” Spirit of the Disciplines, 29-30)

Wow, what a classic statement, “Jesus had one” (a body). That’s right, Jesus was flesh and blood just like I am. Jesus felt all the things life has to offer just like I do. Jesus laughed and cried. He felt what it was like to be scolded by his parents. He knew what it was like to feel rejected. Here is one that many people probably don’t think much about Jesus. Jesus pooped. That’s right, Jesus pooped and had to wipe his butt.

What does all of this have to do with anything?

Our bodies and our souls cannot be separated. We are physical beings. And we are spiritual beings. We are connected beings that what we physically do matters. What I do with my body and how I treat my body matters because I can use my body to either develop my spirit or starve it.

It is possible to have our spirit and our physical body all out of wack. In other words, my body and my spirit can be disconnected and this wreaks havoc on our lives. Is it possible to want to do something so bad and yet you end up doing the thing exact opposite of what you wanted to do. Yup! I have lived it. Check out what Paul says in the letter to the Romans, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” There sure is a lot of do-do in there.

When left to myself, I make a fool of my life. I am a work in progress. I am trying the best I can to give myself to becoming like Jesus. This takes effort on my part and Jesus does his part. There are no shortcuts to this process. Good luck Verduzco.

Bumper Sticker Faith

Has anyone ever seen the bumper sticker, “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.” While this statement is true, many of us as Christians have left it as that. Willard comments, “The only absolute requirement for being a Christian was that one believe the proper things about Jesus.” (Spirit of the Disciplines, 23) I believe what Willard is getting at and what the world is begging for is to see people who are living in the Kingdom of God reality.

“By modest estimate, more than a quarter of the entire population of the United States have professed an evangelical conversion experience. William Iverson wryly observes that ‘A pound of meat would surely be affected by a quarter pound of salt. If this is real Christianity, the “salt of the earth,” where is the effect of which Jesus spoke?’” (23)

I have been so blessed to be around “salty” people. One would think that by one look that these people would glow or have halos on top of their heads. The reality is that these people have given themselves to training themselves in the ways of Jesus, just like any person would who wanted to learn a different language, become a great basketball player, or get a college degree. These people live in a different reality, one that believes Jesus really is who he says he is and that this means something for the world we live in.

I pray that we as Christians would be salty people, that we have a great impact in the communities that we live, and that the Christ filled life would become more and more real to us as we get closer to resurrection Sunday.

Theology

“… Theology is only a way of thinking about and understanding-or misunderstanding- God.” (Spirit of the Disciplines 14)

How and what we think about God matters. Theology shapes our thoughts about the future, our purpose in life, and how we treat other human beings. Let’s face it, in all the annals of human history we still have not learned how to treat others very well. Many people seem to think that the solution to treating other people better is education. While this does help the process of accepting others, the reality is that we cannot change our own hearts. We try with all our might but in the end we are left in utter despair of who we are.

This is where the Triune God of the Christian scriptures reveals himself to humanity. The Christian story proclaims that God is the only one who changes, rather transforms, human hearts/souls. This is not some one time random event in our lives though. This is a back and forth networking between us and the Holy Spirit. It is a training of sorts that helps us live into Christlikeness. Dallas Willard calls them spiritual disciplines. I call it spiritual crossfit! Ha Ha. If anybody is actually reading this blog from crossfit they will kick a kick out of that. All jokes aside, we need to approach our spiritual training as rigorous and methodical as we do our physical fitness. Then we will see God for who he really is, the importance of life, and how the two really do go hand in hand.

A Powerful Prayer

Can I really become like Jesus? If I cannot, why did Jesus come? This leads me to believe that I can become like the one I follow. So, when I am not like him it has nothing to do with him, which means it has everything to do with me.

I remember when I first started following Jesus. I came into this journey filled with lust. I was very blessed to be around other Christians who were further along on this journey than I was. One of the matriarch’s in our church shared different parts of her story with me on numerous occasions. In each and every story she shared with me I always heard her say that she prayed, “God change my heart.”

As naïve as I was to this new way of life I figured if it is good enough for her, it is good enough for me. She is a powerful woman of God that I am so blessed to have in my life. She reminded me time and time again that I could not change other people or the situations around me. I can only ask God to change my heart to see, hear, interpret, and feel what he feels.

I began to implement this powerful prayer into my sins of lust. When a woman would catch my eye I would begin to pray, “Jesus, change my heart to see this woman the way you see her.” As I gave myself to this process, God changed my heart.

Now, I use this prayer for many things in my life. It isn’t just about looking like Jesus. It is about physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually being like Jesus, which by the way can and will happen if we purposefully and intentionally give ourselves to following him in all aspects of our lives.

“If anyone would follow me, they must deny themselves, pick up their cross daily and follow me.” -Jesus

Good Intentions

Matthew 11:29-30

(NIV) 29-30 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

(The Message) 28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

The truth is that everyone is being shaped and formed by someone and/or something. In essence, what Jesus is saying is that if you follow me, you will become like me. I am not going to lead you down a path of death, destruction, or heartache. Learn from me the way you were created to live.

This is radically different than just doing the things that Jesus said and did.

Willard writes,

            “Following in his steps cannot be equated with behaving as he did when he was ‘on the spot’. To live as Christ lived is to live as he did all his life. Our mistake is to think that following Jesus consists in loving our enemies, going the ‘second mile’, turning the other cheek, suffering patiently and hopefully-while living the rest of our lives just as everyone else around us does.” (Spirit of the Disciplines, 5)

Dang. That is good stuff. It is whimsical to think that anybody wins a medal in the Olympics on the day of the event. The moment on the medal stand is a culmination of the last four years or more of training. A college graduate does not earn a degree win they walk across the stage on graduation day. That degree is earned through a rigorous process of multiple classes all the while multi-tasking many other life responsibilities. Becoming a christian does not culminate when we start believing. Becoming a christian means that every day, when we are faced with situations that elicit a response from us, we will draw upon the deep spring of Christ welling up inside of us.

We all know the saying, “The path to hell is paved with good intentions.” Willard posits this truth, “We intend what is right, but we avoid the life that would make it reality.” (6) There is a cost to everything we do. Much is given up to be the people we want to be. May we as believers never only “intend” to follow Jesus. May we actually give ourselves to the journey of handing over our entire mind, body, and soul to be shaped and molded into the divine/human image of our Jesus. May we become like Jesus. May we leave behind an aroma of Jesus everywhere we go.

Becoming Like Jesus

As we enter the Lenten season, it is natural to reflect on what this season means for believers. Lent dates back to the beginning of the church and has been used to, simply put, focus on the life and death of Jesus, culminating in the resurrection. The Resurrection? Early followers of Jesus viewed resurrection as an eternal now, as something that could be experienced right now and is fully consummated when Jesus comes back.

Is this how believer’s live today? Or, do they live to make their lives as bearable as possible so that when they die they will float off somewhere to be with Jesus? The truth is… I find Christians on both ends of the spectrum. Wherever one may fall, the great thing about Lent is that it causes us to focus on Jesus and all the ramifications that his life brings for those who follow.

Paul, a disciple of Jesus, wrote to the church in Ephesus, “Be imitators of Christ.” And the disciple Peter wrote in his debut self-titled letter, “Be holy as Christ is holy.” Why would these guys write such things? Do our lives as followers of Jesus matter here and now? Simple answer, “Yes.” Can we actually become like Jesus? Once again you can find Christians that fall on both ends of the spectrum. I would argue that we not only “can” but that this was the goal of Jesus all along. And there are many others that agree with me, more so, I agree with them.

This was the argument of the late Dallas Willard. He writes,

“We can become like Christ in character and power and thus realize our highest ideals of well-being and well-doing. That is the heart of the New Testament Message.” (Preface, ix)

Yes and Amen. For the season of Lent I will be using Dallas Willard’s book, “The Spirit of the Disciplines” to grow in character and power. There is a reason the word “disciple” is in the word (discipl(e)ine). I pray that I can be holy as I imitate the only one I have ever met that is worth following.