As any good biographer knows, the secret of truly understanding any person lies in discovering what “makes them tick,” what drives them.
For instance, what was it that enabled Jesus Christ to withstand a withering barrage of opposition from a plethora of religious leaders, ruling powers and dark spiritual forces all arrayed against his every move. The answer is deceptively simple: He understood who he was, and even more important, whose he was.
Similarly, for our lives to “pulse” with meaning, value and purpose, we need to know who we are, who we belong to and where we can look for guidance.
Heavenly Wisdom from a 2-Year-Old
I was once quietly sitting in a waiting room before being called for an appointment with my doctor. In walked a young mother with a beautiful baby boy in tow, who was just able to walk. I immediately became enchanted by the unspoken bond of love those two shared.
After a few minutes of cautiously getting the lay of the land, the little boy started exploring the furthest reaches of the room — touching things, picking things up, even tasting a few — all under the watchful eye of mom.
That young lad exhibited a palpable peace and confidence about him that was sustained by a charming practice he seemingly had permanently ingrained in his mind. With each step further away from the “ground zero” of his mom’s location he glanced back and waited expectantly for her approving glance before proceeding.
No coercion, nothing forced. It was almost telepathic as their eyes met and without so much as a word spoken, permission was silently either granted or withheld with each move. He responded without debate, enveloped in the glow of a “love field” around him, seemingly oblivious to the far-less-friendly world at large.
Three things about that little boy anchored his life. He knew who he was (his mother’s beloved son), he knew who he belonged to (his ferociously loving mother), he knew where to look for direction and guidance. No identity crises, no abandonment syndromes, no panicky looking around for help, no having to grow up too soon.
His mother gave him the fences and he played within them. Some might say, “all those fences make him a prisoner.” It’s the opposite — he was safe, secure and free to play inside them. Fences that are meant to protect, not restrict.
Oh, to know such freedom!
How About You?
Feeling a little disoriented lately? Having to “make your life up” as you go along? Looking for a more stable reference point for your life? How has that “going it alone thing” been working for you? Was Frank Sinatra right all along by doing it “his way?”
We’ve all grown up with a postmodern worldview that has a way of clouding our mental perspective. Occasionally, airplane pilots fall prey to a deeply unsettling disorder called “whiteout” — a weather condition that causes disorientation and low visibility due to snow, overcast clouds and fog. They lose sight of the horizon because of the snow-covered terrain against the backdrop of a similarly colored sky.
In the same way, in the field of ideas, philosophies and beliefs, it is possible to lose sight of absolutes, truths and fixed principles. Something like that little child losing sight of his mother, followed by instant panic. Psychologists tell us that children brought up without boundaries, without fences, are often deeply disturbed and unstable in later life.
How about considering a New Year’s resolution that might just move the “needle” of your life toward the light and away from the murky, featureless chaos of the world? Sooner or later, like it or not, we will all come face to face with the hereafter and the possibility of meeting up with our creator.
So, I pose this question to you: What if you stepped out of your comfort zone before that fateful day arrives and take God up on his offer for a divine personal appointment? Suppose that encounter could usher in undreamed-of possibilities for you — possibilities that stretch out into eternity? What’s to lose?
As philosopher Blaise Pascal said:
“Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.”
Next time we’ll discuss how to find your path through the turmoil. Hint: You could do worse than following the footsteps of a certain carpenter from Nazareth. He didn’t do so badly.
— D.C. Collier is a Bible teacher, discipleship mentor and writer focused on Christian apologetics. A mechanical engineer and Internet entrepreneur, he is the author of My Origin, My Destiny, a book focused on Christianity’s basic “value proposition.” Click here for more information. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.