Who Are You … Where Do You Get Your Identity?

We hear a lot about “identity” these days. It’s amazing how many different ways folks devise to find their identity. Many people get it from the jobs and careers: CPAs and attorneys. Carpenters and electricians. Firefighters and paramedics. Store managers and corporate executives. Doctors and nurses. Sales representatives and marketers. Writers and artists. Actors and musicians.

 

Others identify with their unique roles: Homemakers and caregivers. Soccer moms and professional athletes. Volunteers. These days we’ve got “identity politics,” which has to do with posturing or taking a soapbox to opine about issues related to differences in race, ethnicity and gender. Which leads to the whole gender identity debate, but we’re not going there.

 

In one respect, it boils down to affirmation. Where do we get “attaboys” and feel affirmed for who we are – or who we think we are? People even find their identity in such things as “Likes” on social media, or the number of followers they have for their videos, blogs or podcasts. When people “like” us for our livestreams or posts, we can feel affirmed, important. Even if the folks liking us don’t even know us and we don’t know them. I’m reminded of Sally Field’s comments years ago after she had won an Academy Award. With delight she said to the Hollywood elite, “You like me! You really like me!”

 

There’s nothing wrong with getting fulfillment or joy from our work. And serving in roles that help others can give us satisfaction. But “who we are” has to amount to more than where we go to work and what we do there, or how we spend our days, who we associate with, or whether we’ve achieved some measure of cyberspace celebrity.

 

One reason is because if whatever it is we choose as our identity is lost or stripped away, then who are we? What if people stop affirming us for whatever we do – or have done?

 

For the follower of Jesus Christ, there’s only one genuine, enduring, never-to-be-lost source of identity. It’s that of being born again, children of the King. Repeatedly in the Scriptures the Lord assures His people, “never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:5). Just before ascending to heaven after His resurrection, Jesus told His disciples, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

 

Over the years I’ve derived a lot of value from the jobs I undertook, being a community newspaper editor, magazine editor, author and book editor. But all of those vocational pursuits have come and gone. And I’ve had the privilege of discipling and mentoring a number of men. But none of those things are the determining factors for my identity.

 

There’s an unforgettable statement God made through the prophet Isaiah which each of us who has committed to follow Christ can take to heart. Spoken directly to the people of Israel, it’s a promise for every one of His children: “But now, this is what the Lord says – He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name. You are Mine'” (Isaiah 43:1).

 

“You are Mine.” There’s a powerful scene in an early scene from “The Chosen” in which Jesus seeks out Mary Magdalene and says those words of comfort, affirmation and acceptance to her. Take a moment and imagine standing before the Lord, having Him look at you and say, “You are Mine.” How would that make you feel?

 

Years ago, I had a friend who had spent many years studying the Bible and had even committed hundreds of Scripture verses to memory. Ted was a very accomplished businessman and had spent much of his life rubbing shoulders with people of great prominence from around the world. He had a wonderful wife and two beautiful daughters, but he made clear none of those things were the source of his identity.

 

One verse, Acts 17:28, summed up for Ted where his sense of identity came from: “For in Him [Jesus Christ] we live and move and have our being.” For him, Jesus was everything. Without Him, Ted knew he was nothing.

 

Even for preachers and missionaries – people in vocational ministry – those jobs should not and cannot be the ultimate sources for their identity. Rather, it’s what the apostle Paul said in describing the transforming impact of Jesus Christ in his life. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

 

Paul found his identity solely in his relationship with Jesus, not his ministry or the fruit from his missionary journeys. He certainly no longer identified with the fame and acclaim he had once achieved in being what he termed “a Pharisee of Pharisees.” Elsewhere he wrote, “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4).

 

What is your identity? Is it your job? Your spouse or family? Your lifestyle? The stuff you possess? Or is it in the one and only thing you can never lose – an eternal relationship with God through Jesus Christ? Is He, as Paul wrote, your life? 

Being a Disciple Requires Discipline

“The problem with everyday life is it’s so daily.” I don’t know who said that originally, but I’ve thought it many times. Life seems easy during the exciting moments – special events, lavish parties, vacations, travel to exotic locations. But the mundane functions of daily living can be hard. 

 

Emerging bed in the morning, getting cleaned up, eating a quick breakfast (if you have time), going to work, carrying out responsibilities and trying to solve problems, heading home to decompress from the day’s demands, then going to bed to do it all over again in the morning. Indeed, everyday life is so daily!

 

The spiritual life is similar. We might have a ‘mountaintop experience’ from time to time, we might hear a sermon that inspires us or hear a song that stirs our heart, but the reality of living for Jesus Christ every day doesn’t ensure thrills every minute. It’s a matter of obedience, faithfulness – and discipline – in the midst of what’s mostly mundane.

 

I like how my favorite devotional writer, Oswald Chambers, expressed it: “[it requires] the supernatural grace of God to live 24 hours of every day as a saint, going through drudgery, and living an ordinary, unnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus…. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy in the ordinary streets, among ordinary people – and this is not learned in five minutes.”

 

What Chambers is talking about is discipline, a determination of heart and mind to pursue God no matter what distractions or obstacles we encounter. Jesus offered a succinct description of what this looks like: “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). To “deny himself and take up his cross” means to die to oneself, to say no to anything and everything that could steer us off course in our walk with the Lord.

 

We’re in the middle of football season, and those of us who are fans spend considerable time watching games featuring our favorite teams. We admire the speed, athleticism and skill on display (hopefully more by our team than the other). But what stands out most – or should – is discipline.

 

Offensive linemen get into their set positions and remain still until the ball is hiked. If they don’t, the referees are quick to toss their yellow penalty flags. Quarterbacks, running backs, receivers all take their positions as well. Once Mr. QB has the ball, everyone moves as the called play dictates, seeking to move the ball toward the opponents’ goal line. The running back must go in the right direction and receivers must follow their prescribed routes. Without discipline, the play won’t succeed. 

 

However, much of the discipline football players exert goes unseen, taking place long before game day. Practice, practice, practice. Doing the same things over and over until they become second nature. Add to that the hours of physical training, lifting weights, meetings, memorizing the playbook. Daily drudgery, designed for success on the field.

 

This principle is vitally important for all who desire to be disciples of Jesus Christ – true followers, learners, and spiritual reproducers. Just before His ascension to heaven, Jesus commanded, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). And to make disciples, as He instructed, one must first be a disciple. And you can’t be a disciple without discipline.

 

Unlike football or other sports, following Jesus isn’t a pastime, or a casual pursuit. As the apostle Paul wrote in Acts 17:28, “For in Him we live and move and have our being.” These days we hear a lot of talk about one’s identity. For followers of Christ, He should be our identity.

 

For Paul, this was his passion, his motivation, the thing that drove him through the ups and downs of life – and he experienced many of both. Writing to believers in ancient Philippi, Paul expressed what we might consider his mission statement: “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11).

 

But Paul was quick to note that he hadn’t arrived, that his everyday goal of becoming more and more like Christ – and less and less like the person he was before encountering Him – was yet to be achieved. With honesty and humility, he stated: 

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it…. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).

 

Whether we’ve been following Jesus for a week, a few months, a year, or many years, we should take Paul’s words to heart. We’re still ‘in process,’ and therefore we must press onward.

 

The psalmist wrote, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Whatever the day brings, we can have confidence that it’s another day God has given to us. With discipline we can grow in our faith and revel in opportunities to serve the Lord and those He sends our way.  

Thinking Twice About Things We Take for Granted

There’s so much in this life that we take for granted. For example, running water. We turn on the faucet or the shower without wondering whether water will come out. Until it doesn’t – as happened to us recently. The water pressure was very low, so we instantly started worrying about if we’d have enough water for our morning coffee or to get cleaned up. But that doesn’t happen often. 

Running water isn’t the only thing we tend to take for granted. There’s the car starting every time we turn the key or hit the ignition switch (depending upon the age of your car). However, we’ve probably all had moments when we turned the ignition and … nothing.

 

What about food for breakfast? For most of us, it’s not a matter of whether we’ll have any food to eat, but rather what kind of food we choose to have: Eggs? Bacon, or sausage? Cereal? Toast? Cinnamon rolls or donuts? We even take for granted that we’ll be able to choose.

 

Then there are our joints. We know we’ve got them – knuckles, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles. We hardly notice them. We don’t consciously instruct them to bend. They’re just there, functioning unnoticed. Until something goes wrong – we twist them, strain them, break them. Or for no apparent reason, they just start aching. Suddenly those joints and the many movements they enable us to make become precious.

 

We could cite many other examples: Beating hearts, air in our lungs, clothes to wear, air conditioning when it’s hot, heat when it’s cold outside. It’s easy to take our loved ones for granted, something I try hard not to do. But it happens sometimes. 

 

Another thing we’re inclined to take for granted – and most important of all – is our relationship with God. For atheists and agnostics, of course, this isn’t a problem. But for those of us who profess to be followers of Jesus, we sadly can take Him for granted as well.

We might attend church regularly, spend a few minutes reading the Bible once in a while, pray before meals (when we remember), and act appropriately pious when the situation dictates. But how many of us can declare along with the apostle Paul, “For in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28)?

 

When a crisis arises, we’re quick to call out, “Lord, I need you!” When confronted with a difficult, important decision, we remember God. When a loved one is experiencing a serious illness, we pray and ask Him to intervene. When we discover there’s too much month at the end of our pay, our thoughts shift toward the Lord and plead for His provision.

 

However, when all is going well or circumstances seem manageable, our attitude is more like, “I’ve got this. No need to bother God with this one. I can handle it.” Kind of like pushing Him aside and saying, “I’ll let You know when I need You,” and moving on with our lives.

 

It’s interesting that in the second and third chapters of Revelation, where the apostle John records a vision God gave him while he was on the island of Patmos, taking God for granted was among the grievous sins of the seven churches in the province of Asia.

 

To the church in Ephesus, John was directed to write, “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance…. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first” (Revelation 2:2-5).

 

And to the church in Laodicea, John was inspired to tell the believers, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of My mouth…. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:15-20).

 

We commonly use that last verse, “I stand at the door and knock,” in an evangelistic sense. That Christ is knocking at the door of a person’s heart waiting to be invited in. And in one respect that’s true. But the context here is the church in Laodicea, people already claiming to trust in Jesus. They were neither cold nor hot – essentially, they were taking their relationship with the Lord for granted. To use a contemporary word, “Meh.”

 

Believers in Ephesus had “lost their first love,” apparently becoming preoccupied with other things. The Laodiceans were “neither hot nor cold,” perhaps going through the motions but not demonstrating the joy and zeal for Jesus Christ that sets us apart from other people.

 

Granted, these God-inspired words were written nearly 2,000 years ago, but tragically many congregations – and many professing Christians – today also can be described in the same terms: having lost their first love, or being lukewarm – neither cold nor hot.

 

When I sense this in my own life, I try to recall and pray these words of repentance from King David in Psalm 51:10-12:

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

 

Considering everything the Lord does for us, much of which we don’t even recognize, He doesn’t deserve to be taken for granted. Maybe, as with the folks in ancient Ephesus and Laodicea, it’s time for us to repent.

The Antidote for Becoming Weary in Well-Doing

Centuries ago, someone talked about becoming “weary in well-doing.” Have you ever felt that way? Doing good is, well, good to do. But it can be exhausting. Especially when positive results seem slow in coming.

 

More than 40 years ago I befriended a man who had given up a very successful professional career to begin working with the poor in a major American city. His work started with children, but he soon realized to be most effective he had to become involved with their families as well. What this man experienced was both gratifying and frustrating. There are no easy, quick fixes for individuals and families who have struggled with perpetual poverty.

 

My friend never talked about it much, but I’m sure he had many moments in which he felt weary in well-doing. 

 

Missionaries experience much the same thing. Sensing a calling from God to literally move out of their comfort zone, leaving homes, friends and communities to go to foreign lands with unfamiliar cultures, strange languages and different belief systems. They go to tell people about the Good News of Jesus Christ but often find very few interested in listening to what they have to say. 

I think of biblical prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah who heard God saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” and responded with words like, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8). Reading their books in the Old Testament, we discover they had little to show for their years of faithful service. Perhaps in their lowest moments of feeling weary in well-doing they were tempted to amend their original commitment to “Here am I. Send someone else!”

 

We don’t have to look far to find needs screaming to be met. There are the poor; the homeless; the disabled; the illiterate; the unemployed and unemployable; the mentally challenged; the physically and emotionally abused; the addicted; men, women and children at all societal levels overwhelmed by hopelessness. Just reading this litany of needs is tiring as we wonder how we could help. What difference could we possibly make?

 

Living in our complex, fast-paced 21^st century society it would seem easy to conclude the weariness many of us experience on a consistent, even daily basis is unique to our time. But it’s not. About 2,000 years ago, writing to members of the early church in Galatia, the apostle Paul offered these words of encouragement: “Let us not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6:9-10).

 

Well, we might argue, that was easy for Paul to say. After all, wasn’t he one of the Bible’s superheroes? I hardly think it was easy for him to say, considering during his tumultuous ministry he dealt with hunger and deprivation, persecution, stoning, shipwrecks, imprisonments and other seemingly insurmountable challenges. Surely, even though he cautioned against it, Paul had his weary-in-well-doing moments.

 

So, how did he handle those times? Paul always kept His focus on Jesus Christ and never forgot his total dependence on Him. This was why he wrote, “in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Encouraging believers in ancient Philippi, Paul declared, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 

 

He also wrote, perhaps to our astonishment, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Delighting in weakness? 

 

What noble intentions, what determination, right? But my favorite devotional writer, Oswald Chambers, explained what kept the apostle going wasn’t just what he intended to do and why, but also for whom he was doing it. Chambers observed, 

“As long as there was one human being who did not know Jesus, Paul felt a debt of service to that person until he did come to know Him. But the chief motivation behind Paul’s service was not love for others but love for his Lord. If our devotion is to the cause of humanity, we will be quickly defeated and broken-hearted, since we will often be confronted with a great deal of ingratitude from other people. But if we are motivated by our love for God, no amount of ingratitude will be able to hinder us from serving one another.” 

Indeed, the unending needs of humanity can quickly leave us defeated and broken-hearted. So, the next time you find yourself in a state of weariness from doing good, stop and concentrate on Jesus. He’s our motivation, our strength, and the only one whose opinion ultimately matters. 

The Two Most Important Days for Any of Us

We certainly enjoy celebrating special days, don’t we? We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and numerous holidays, including Christmas, New Year’s Day, Easter, and very soon, Memorial Day.

 

What for you is the most important day? Holidays are fun, but for many of us, our date of birth means the most because after all, it’s a very personal special day, one that’s not shared by many people we know. Mark Twain, the celebrated author who also was quite the philosopher, agreed – but only in part.

 

Twain offered a view that in his mind, two days stand out above the rest. He said, "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." 

 

Each one of us knows the day we were born – but how many of us can point to a day or time when, as Twain suggests, we discovered why we were born? 

 

Early in life we typically coast through life, taking in experiences like drinking from a firehose. But as we get older, some of us start waxing a bit philosophical, asking deep questions such as, “Why am I here?” and “What’s my purpose?” Have you ever done that? If you have, have you arrived at an answer that you find satisfactory?

 

The “why” questions of life are sometimes answered in terms of our activities – by the kinds of work we do, our parenting responsibilities, our accomplishments, or even our standing in the community. However, according to the Bible, those are not sufficient answers for the question of, “Why am I here?”

 

The Westminster Shorter Catechism, on which Reformers collaborated in the mid-1600s to present a clear statement of doctrine and faith, asserts, “Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” We might say, “Well, that was nearly 400 years ago!” But when you think about it, the Lord – whom the Scriptures describe as “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) – and the nature of humankind have remained constant through the ages, so it’s fair to give credence to the revered theological declaration.

 

But what about the Bible itself? What can it tell us about why we're here? I have long appreciated the apostle Paul’s very personal expression in Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” While none of us would go out of our way to experience sufferings, this is a strong description of one sold out to being a follower of Jesus.

 

The Amplified Version of this verse that I actually chose as my personal purpose statement, expands on this idea. It states, “that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person, more strongly and more clearly….” Imagine a lifetime devoted to getting to know Jesus better and better. Do you think that might have an impact on how we conduct our lives each day?

 

In another place, Paul explains how central faith and trust in Jesus Christ should be. He said, “For in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

 

Those are excellent generalizations that can apply to every man, woman and young person who’s committed to Christ, but how should the “why” for my earthly existence differ from yours? That’s a question worthy of much discussion, but again I believe the Scriptures give some clear direction.

 

After Paul’s teaching in the second chapter of Ephesians that we’re saved not by our works and effort, but solely on the basis of God’s grace and the faith He gives us, he makes this powerful statement: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

 

Later in the same book, the apostle observes the reason we have persons gifted as prophets and evangelists, pastors and teachers is not so they can do all of God’s work. Instead, their purpose is: 

“to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13).

 

That doesn’t mean we should be walking around in flowing robes, hands folded in prayer and singing spiritual songs all the time. But that does mean from the moment we awaken to the moment we return to bed, our minds, hearts and motives should be directed toward God and available to take part in His divine purposes.

 

As Colossians 3:17,23 instruct us, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him…. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

 

No, this doesn’t tell us where we should go to college – or if we should go at all. It doesn’t identify who we should marry or how many kids to have. And it doesn’t specify whether we should become a restaurant chef, school teacher, business or professional person, astronaut, grocery store clerk, serve in the military, or train to be a first responder.

However, it does teach us that whatever we do, our intent should be to honor and glorify God. Then, as we gain an understanding of our abilities, interests and strengths, He can guide us to the life and career paths where we can serve Him best. 

Not Just a Sunday Kind of Thing

Compartments. Lots of things have them – toolboxes, purses, refrigerators, desks, cars, luggage. All designed to keep stuff in predictable places for easy access when needed. Many people like to divide areas of their lives into compartments as well, for much the same reason. 

Most of us work, have families, and maintain active personal lives. Often those don’t intersect, and that’s typically by intent. Our working lives stay independent of family and personal pursuits. Almost like socks and underwear stored in separate drawers, or fruit and vegetables kept in compartments away from the meat and cheese in the refrigerator. We don’t like to take workplace problems home, and conversely find it necessary not to bring personal issues with us to work.

 

In this common scenario, every dimension of life has a meaningful place, but we “segregate” them. Even relationships might be separated – friends at work; tennis or golf buddies; people we interact with at church, or folks we regularly encounter at school PTA meetings. We try to make sure they don’t venture beyond carefully prescribed boundaries.

 

To an extent, that’s understandable, but it also can be detrimental. Because unlike Clark Kent, we can’t just step into a phone booth (who can find one anyway?) and turn into Superman, or vice versa. Unlike fruit and deli meats, the facets of our total being can’t be conveniently divided.

 

One reason for this is that we’re also multi-dimensional individuals made up of mind, body and spirit. Try as we might, those can’t be so easily separated. When reading a book, I might be engaging my mind primarily, but if my body’s in pain, the act of reading will be a challenge. And if tackling some mechanical task, it usually helps to bring thinking caps to the party. 

 

This sign hangs in a tabernacle
at a Methodist camp located
in Hyannis, Mass.

The penchant toward compartmentalization is particularly common in the area of religion (or spirituality). We go to our preferred places of worship on Sunday for an hour or two a week. If we’re really devoted, maybe a couple hours more than that. But once we’ve put in the time, we exit to live out the rest of the week, often with little thought about God or matters of faith. 

Unless there’s a major problem of some sort, in which case we suddenly return our thoughts to Him and urgently pray something like, “Um, Lord, I’m in a bit of a bind. Have you noticed what’s going on down here?”

 

I know, because that’s where I was at one time. Out of habit, I’d make my weekly appearance at church. The rest of the week I’d be cruising along, effectively living like a practical atheist, unless a bump in the road prompted me to send up a “flare prayer,” beseeching God for His timely intervention. Once the crisis had passed, I’d return to my state of spiritual indifference until it was time again to punch my spiritual attendance card, hoping to remain in good standing.

 

Of course, the Scriptures say nothing about living compartmentalized lives – especially in our relationship with the Lord Jesus. If anything, we’re exhorted to do just the opposite. I think of the apostle Paul’s urgent exhortation to believers in the ancient church of Colossae. He wrote:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:16-17).

 

Paul doesn’t qualify his admonition by saying “when you’re in church” or “when participating in a religious observance.” He’s clearly saying that whatever we do, whenever and wherever we’re doing it, we’re to do it in ways that honor and please the Lord.

 

Perhaps for emphasis, several verses later Paul reiterates his instructions: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward” (Colossians 3:23-24). It’s clear the apostle wasn’t saying this with weekly worship services in mind, because he prefaced it by stating, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything” (Colossians 3:22). We’re to do our work throughout the week “as for the Lord.”

 

Nearly four centuries ago, Brother Lawrence, a Carmelite monk in Paris, France, embraced this important biblical precept. Even in performing the lowliest, most tedious chores, he believed God should remain our focus. This desire to experience continual intimacy with the Lord is recorded in his book, The Practice of the Presence of God, which was compiled and published after his death.

 

My own notion that the church building was where God lived and where I would visit Him once a week changed dramatically about 40 years ago. If, as Galatians 2:20 declares, “…it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me,” then it didn’t matter whether I was in a sanctuary, an office or on a tennis court – He was with me wherever I went. And I was to live for Him not just for a couple hours a week, but every day, every waking hour.

 

God blessed me by bringing many people into my life over the years who not only believed this but also demonstrated it consistently, showing how it could be done. My work in some respects could remain “compartmentalized,” keeping it separate from my family life and personal pursuits. But if I truly desired to follow and serve the Lord Jesus, I couldn’t put Him into some neat compartment. He wanted to infuse every aspect of my life, no matter what I was up to.

 

The apostle Paul summarized this simply when he declared, “For in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Embodying this, I’ve learned, is not a destination but a lifelong journey. Most of all, it’s not something that belongs in a compartment. Like the air we breathe, we can’t get away from it and we can’t do without it.

Abiding – That Wonderful Feeling of Being Home

Even if we enjoy traveling, isn’t it nice at the conclusion of a trip to be able to fall into our own bed? There’s something comforting about being “home.” But after we’ve been home for a while, we lose that sense of “I’m home,” or “this is my bed.” Why is that? It’s because we’re abiding.

 

A dictionary definition of “abide” is to stay or remain, to live or continue in a place. Because of constancy and familiarity, we’re not always conscious of where we are abiding, or think about being home. I suspect fish don't think a lot about existing permanently in water; it’s their living environment. Now if someone pulls them out of the water, that's a different matter.

 

Think about breathing. We do it continually – we don’t have to remind ourselves every morning, “Okay, now start breathing.” We’re not aware of it unless we become short of breath, like after a run or vigorous exercise. If we’re chronically short of breath, we know that can be symptomatic of a serious health issue.

 

We also tend to take our joints for granted. They enable us to walk, we bend them, use them to grab or pick up things. We hardly notice them – until we injure them. Then we’re suddenly aware of our thumbs, or knees, shoulders or ankles.

 

I remember the time years ago when I was driving back into town after a trip to Atlanta. Traffic stopped suddenly for some reason. Glancing into my rear-view mirror, I noticed a vehicle approaching that didn’t seem to be slowing. Having nowhere to go, I instinctively laid on my car’s horn, hoping to get the other driver’s attention. It worked, and the vehicle came to a screeching halt just inches from my car’s rear bumper. But I managed to sprain my thumb in the frantic process.

 

Over the succeeding weeks, as my thumb slowly healed, I became very aware of how dependent I am on it – for turning a doorknob, tying shoes, holding onto things, other simple tasks I do without thinking about them. I had never realized what a gift it is to have what zoologists call an “opposable thumb.”

 

The experience was similar when I tore the meniscus – cushioning cartilage – in my left knee. Although I had been an avid power-walker, suddenly I couldn’t walk anywhere without feeling a stabbing pain in my knee. Before I had outpatient surgery to correct the injury, I told my surgeon, “If I had known I had a meniscus, I would have been more careful not to tear it!”

 

The point is, we spend much of our lives abiding – simply remaining or continuing in a certain state, often not even consciously aware of things so vital for us. I believe this is why Jesus Christ so emphatically explained why learning to abide is so important for our relationship with Him. 

 

Jesus and His followers might have been walking past a vineyard when He said:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit…. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:1-5).

 

This is something we don’t hear enough about – abiding in Christ. We talk about doing things for Him, serving Him, even “going to the Lord in prayer.” But we rarely ponder what it means to “abide in Christ,” so much that we’re not even conscious of it. What does that look like? I suspect the apostle Paul had this in mind when he explained to contemplative philosophers in ancient Athens, “For in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

 

In one of the daily meditations from My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers states, “If we will come to Him, asking Him to produce Christ-awareness in us, He will always do it, until we fully learn to abide in Him.” In another passage, Chambers says, “The one true sign of discipleship is oneness with Him – a knowledge of Jesus that nothing can shake.”

 

Years ago, the saying, “WWJD – What Would Jesus Do?” made its rounds, appearing on T-shirts and bracelets, and becoming the topic of countless books, articles and sermons. It seemed like a good idea, a reminder to filter our actions through that consideration. However, if we’re abiding in Christ as He urged us to do, should we always need to stop and think, “Now, um, what would Jesus do in this situation?”

 

If we’re living and moving and having our being in the Lord, as Acts 17:28 supposes, doing what Jesus does and thinking as He thinks shouldn’t always demand a conscious, intentional act, any more than breathing or making our hearts beat. That’s not saying it’s easy, but as we walk with Christ day after day, it should become less necessary to wrack our brains trying to figure out what He expects of us.

 

When Jesus was teaching His disciples about what it means to abide in Him, He included a statement that indicated even their prayers would be influenced by their growing intimacy with Him. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7). If we’re truly abiding with Christ, it will shape the things we ask of Him. That’s not a bad arrangement. 

Living Under New Management

In a little more than four months, Americans from coast to coast will stream to the polls to elect not only a new President and Vice President, but also U.S. Senators and members of the House of Representatives. There are those who support the course our nation is on today and are looking for more of the same. Others are eager for the country to be “under new management,” hoping the direction the United States has taken will shift drastically.

Fresh starts often foster high hopes.

The idea of new management can be very appealing in many situations, whether for a once-popular restaurant, a retail store, or a major corporation where profits and consumer confidence need a strong boost. It’s the hope that under new management, necessary changes will take place, along with major improvements.

Sometimes even congregations could benefit from being under “new management,” especially in circumstances when it appears to be the senior pastor, and not God, who’s calling the shots.

Bringing it down to an even more personal level, has there ever been a time when you sensed a need for your own life to be “under new management”?

I remember years ago, as a fairly new believer, wrestling with a variety of issues – anger and anxiety being among them. How could a Christian think and act the way I was? I remember praying, asking God for “help” in overcoming these struggles. Despite my best efforts, however, I was making no progress. The “bolt” of spiritual strength I was anticipating from on high never seemed to come.

At the time I was also trying to come to terms with two verses I was memorizing. One was Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” The other passage was 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

“How can this be?” I wondered in frustration. “How can Jesus live in me spiritually with all this anger, my short temper, and the constant anxiousness I feel?” And I certainly did not feel like a “new creation.” I seemed like the same old flawed, troubled knucklehead I’d always been. I began to question whether I genuinely was a follower of Jesus Christ, or whether I was just fooling myself – and perhaps everyone else – just going through the motions, saying the right words.

Thankfully, around that time God put a man into my life who encouraged me to dig deeper into the Scriptures. He urged me to discover not who I felt I was, or who I thought I was, but what the Bible truly said about me and who I was in relation to Jesus as one of His followers. The key, I learned, was not relying on ever-shifting feelings, but instead starting to act upon God’s revealed truth.

For instance, Romans 6:4 states, “We were therefore buried with (Christ) through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” For me that meant if I believed and appropriated that promise, I could indeed be living “under new management.”

Another verse, Romans 6:11, expands on that idea: “In the same way, count (consider, reckon) yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”  A bit later the apostle Paul added, “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you” (Romans 8:12). What I’ve learned this means is that while the influence of sin is not dead to me, I am no longer enslaved or in bondage to it, as Paul explained in Romans 6:15-23.

This, frankly, is heavy stuff, biblical truth I’m striving to trust in and act upon to this day. It sounds too good to be true. In reality, it’s good – but not too good. And it is true. I’ve discovered many of the revered giants of Christian history – people like Saint Augustine, A.W. Tozer, Andrew Murray, Oswald Chambers, Fanny Crosby, Hudson Taylor and countless others – have found freedom and great joy as they came to understand their identity in Christ, instead of who they sometimes felt like they were. In fact, years ago someone wrote a book called They Found the Secret, accounts of people who experienced the transforming impact of grasping what it means to be “in Christ.”

Sometimes I’m more successful in living out this truth than other times. What the Bible calls “the flesh” is stubborn, and old habits don’t die easily. But if we read, study and apply what the Scriptures teach, we’ll realize we can in fact be “under new management” spiritually, realizing Acts 17:28 – “For in him (Jesus) we live and move and have our being.”

A ‘City Slickers’ Look at One Thing

In the 1991 film “City Slickers,” there’s an exchange between the resident cowboy, Curly (Jack Palance), and vacationing urban greenhorn Mitch (Billy Crystal). Curly asks Mitch, “Do you know what the secret to life is?” Then he holds up one finger, looks at it, and says, “This.” Mitch responds, “Your finger?” Curly shakes his head, then replies, “One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don’t mean (anything).”

Giving Curly his full attention, Mitch asks, “That’s great, but what is the ‘one thing’?” Then Curly smiles and answers, “That’s what you have to find out.”

That little interaction alone is worth the price of renting the video. In these days of short attention spans, ADHD lifestyles, copious communications, and distractions by the dozens, the ability to concentrate on one thing is becoming a lost art.

We eat meals, watch TV, and monitor social media on our smartphones or tablets all at the same time. Even going out to a restaurant for dinner, we mumble at our eating partners while texting friends, checking the weather or ball scores, or watching the TV over our shoulders. The “secret to life,” it would seem, is trying to accomplish as many things as possible all at the same time, not just one thing. Multi-tasking is regarded a consummate virtue.

But I think Curly was right. If we can figure out what that one thing is, we’ll have figured out the secret to life and can stick to it. It can guide us in everything we do. In high school, for example, some athletes succeed in multiple sports, but for most of them to excel at the collegiate level – even more as professionals – they need to determine that “one thing,” the sport in which they perform best, even dominate the opposition.

Lebron James could have starred in college football as a wide receiver or tight end. However, he chose to focus on basketball and as a result, has become one of the NBA’s all-time greats. The sister-brother duo of Karen and Richard Carpenter recorded multiple vocal hits from 1969 until her death in 1983. Karen was a talented drummer, but it was her flawless voice that propelled the Carpenters to music stardom. Her distinctive melodies still captivate listeners today.

Of course, Curly of “City Slickers” was speaking in a broader sense than just vocation or talent. Because people can excel in specific areas of life and still remain clueless about “the secret to life.” If someone were to ask you about the one thing that can reveal that secret, how would you respond? Success? Wealth? Family? Love? Health?

The apostle Paul, writing to believers in the ancient church in Corinth, was bold and unwavering in declaring what he’d determined was that one thing, the secret to life. “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

Paul was explaining he saw no point in aimless dialogue, getting entangled in disputes over petty differences. Instead, he resolved to concentrate on Christ, acknowledging, “I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (2 Corinthians 2:3-5).

Speaking in Athens, an ancient city defined by polytheistic idol worship, Paul asserted Jesus Christ was more than a focal point for his faith; Christ was the foundation for the person he had become: “For in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

Had Paul been questioned by Curly of “City Slickers,” undoubtedly he would have identified Jesus Christ as the singular secret to life. Jesus Himself declared, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

Perhaps that’s the most profound question we each must answer: What is that one thing, the secret to life? And if we conclude the answer’s not Jesus, then what is it?