In today’s postmodern “informationally saturated” global economy, people are looking for meaning beyond words. Deep down, people want to be engaged in a dialog not a debate. Authentic relationships that intersect with a person’s “story” create platforms for influence. So…what I do/how I live authenticates what I say I believe. How I live biblically in small moments fills in the dialog for the method and meaning of true significance.
I see many young leaders try to influence their peers more by spiritual propaganda and rhetoric than through the power of personal holiness. Paul understood the primacy of proclaiming Christ through his life that would validate the authenticity of his spiritual insights (II Corinthians 2:1-5).
The process of interpersonal discipleship or spiritual influence should be contextualized by culture (or “relevant” if you don’t think that’s a dirty word)…not as a goal unto itself, but as the means/method/process to personally deposit the unmitigated truth of the gospel. Relationships are central to communicating the rich truths of our faith. Relationship is the dynamic that is missing in today’s society and the one thing every human longs for.
On the pathway to authentic dialog, people can loose more than they gain when their life is described better in worldly terms than defined by the Word. The world is not something to be courted, but rather contrasted through a biblical worldview/lifestyle. I am convinced it is when Christians live according to the word and not the world it will display The Compelling Significance of this lifetime…and the one to come (I Peter 1:13-22).
In this thinking I started to highlight a contrasting list…in the end I always constrain/edit myself to ten.
The Word (I John 2:4-6)
Knowledge of God (Col 1:9-10)
Accountability (Heb 3:12-13)
Mortification (Col 3:1-3)
Suffering (Jms 1:2-7; Heb 12)
Known (I Thess 2:8)
Giver (I Tim 6:18; Acts 2:44-45)
Active (II Tim 2:1-15)
Selfless-Love (Phil 2; I Cor 13)
Driven by Christ (II Cor 5:14-15)
Perfection (Phil 3:12-13
Or Worldly (I John 2:15-17)
Knowledge of Things
Autonomy
Explanation
Comfort
Known About
Consumer
Apathetic
Self-Love
Driven by Cool
Performance
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2 comments:
thought provoking Joe...I love these lines, "Relationships are central to communicating the rich truths of our faith. Relationship is the dynamic that is missing in today’s society and the one thing every human longs for." I want to learn this - I think I "know" a lot more about this than I actually live out. Talk about authenticating my words, hugh? I have a lot to learn. Thanks for htis post.
What do you mean by "Known" and "Known" about? I'll look up those passages. Thanks...and I am excited about today (first day of RD-entry!!! Yey!)
I do beleive that the compelling validation of our faith is not exclusively the theology we accuire but the life we live. For we display what we beleive not in what we say but how we live.
There is a differnece between being known (someone authentically knowing my heart) and being known about (which is what I want people to know about my heart, and I dont disclose myslef completly).
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