Will I Ever Make It?/Live It!

To perfection, that is.
Will I ever make it to perfection?

As difficult as the process is here on earth, I wonder how it's possible ever to reach that improbable conclusion in my life. But of course, I won't reach it during my lifetime. God has promised it in eternity, once I've shed this fallen human self that now carries me around.

And yet, God still works on me today, cutting away the bad parts and propping up the good, moving me towards His inevitable goal for my being. But I resist, not really wanting to go there. It is too hard, too much against the grain of who I am at the core of my sinful self. Am I missing something here?

As I reviewed Wednesday, C. S. Lewis said it takes adversity to move us from where we are to where God wants us to be. We have to be forced. And even then, we fail to see adversity as a good thing, as God's tool to improve us. We need to understand and work with life's troubles.

In addition, there is one more thing we lack, according to Lewis in his book Mere Christianity: a vision. Lewis said, "It seems to us all unnecessary: but that is because we have not yet had the slightest notion of the tremendous thing He means to make of us."

If only, says Lewis. If only we could somehow get a glimpse of what we would be as a perfected being, then we would have the motivation to move with God as He seeks to improve us.

With this inborn sinful nature, though, how can we ever perceive what perfection looks like? How can we possibly know--even at the most rudimentary level--what God intends for us by perfection?

Thank God for Christ! Not only is the example, the picture, of perfection found in Christ, but the means to achieve it as well. The author of Hebrews 12:1-3 sums up the process. Like an athlete in training for the big event, we have to work on throwing off all the bad things that hold us back from perfection. Our eyes should be trained on Jesus. He is both the prize and the template.

Look at how Christ lived his life. That's the perfection we seek. Then observe the suffering Christ endured so that we might be able to obtain the very same perfection. Christ is both our goal and our motivation.

So, the next time adversity comes knockin', open the door and say, "Welcome, in Jesus' name!"

Will I Ever Make It?/Go Deep

Ouch! Aaaaah!
How is it that C. S. Lewis can deliver a blunt lesson and still put such a fine point on it?

Lewis has just proposed that God's intention for Christians is to move them as close to perfection as He can before death overtakes them. But how will God do that? Lewis explains further:

"That is why we must not be surprised if we are in for a rough time. . . When troubles come along--illnesses, money troubles, new kinds of temptation--he (a man who has turned to Christ) is disappointed. These things, he feels, might have been necessary to rouse him and make him repent in his bad old days; but why now?

"Because God is forcing him on, or up, to a higher level: putting him into situations where he will have to be very much braver, or more patient, or more loving, than he ever dreamed of being before. It seems to us all unnecessary: but that is because we have not yet had the slightest notion of the tremendous thing He means to make of us."

Like I said, ouch!

As Christian men, we are surprised when trouble comes our way. Why? Two reasons.

First of all, we don't see troubles as a catalyst for improvement in our lives. Our first response when trouble shows up is always, "Darn, why me?" If we take to heart what Lewis is trying to tell us, our first response should be, "Okay God, what are you working on now?"

Second, we simply don't feel the need to grow. Left to ourselves, chances are slim we would ever move up to the next higher level. We just don't dream of improving those aspects of our being. (Who wakes up in the morning and says, "I want to be more patient today"?)

So God forces us into growth--probably in the very areas we are most adverse to improving--by giving us a healthy dose of adversity where we need it.

But even if we recognize that God is seeking improvement in our lives, Lewis sees an even deeper reason why men don't respond well to God's promptings. Do you see it?

Let's talk about it on Friday. I'm still working on reasons one and two.

Will I Ever Make It?/Think About It

Ever read C. S. Lewis?
He makes me think in ways that hurt. But, it's a good hurt.

Like the coach that yells, "No pain, no gain," Lewis proposed in his book, "Mere Christianity," that the gain that God wants for His followers comes only through pain.

Hear Lewis ruminate in this excerpt:

"Here is another way of putting the two sides of the truth. On the one hand we must never imagine that our own unaided efforts can be relied on to carry us even through the next twenty-four hours as 'decent' people. If He does not support us, not one of us is safe from some gross sin. On the other hand, no possible degree of holiness or heroism which has ever been recorded of the greatest saints is beyond what He is determined to produce in every one of us in the end. The job will not be completed in this life; but He means to get us as far as possible before death."

What an amazing thing to contemplate! First of all, we can't make it through a single day without messing up. God knows that. And yet, He isn't satisfied to leave us in that condition. His plan of redemption (through His Son, Jesus Christ) eventually involves perfecting us. But, on the road to perfection, there's a lot of work to do!

Before we get to the "work" part, let's camp on the very happy thought that God loves us enough to not let us stay the way we are.

Enjoy, because the big "but" statement is coming fast. The questions to think about? Just what will God have to do to me to grow me better? And, for how long?

Looking Back/Live It!

Not too long ago, I didn't get a job I was interviewing for.

I had two choices at that point. I could live in the negative or move towards the positive of the situation. Here's what I mean:

• The negative--I could be mad at the people who didn't choose me. I could be disgusted at myself for what I did say that I shouldn't have or what I didn't say when I had the chance. I could sorrow over the loss of the opportunity. I could linger in the pain of the moment, extending it into a trend rather than allowing it to be what it was--just one moment out of the span of my entire life.
• The positive--Learn from the experience. If there were things I should have said, but didn't, I'll make sure that they are part of my next pitch. If I blew it through my resume, application, or any interview questions, I'll change them for the better next time. I'll find the positive in the moment and focus on that as I search for the next step in moving toward my dream.

In my case, I chose to remember that I had made it to the second and third interview. Apparently, I was in the final three to be considered. Those facts gave me the confidence that I did have the credentials needed for the line of work I was pursuing. The fact that I didn't get this particular job just showed that it was a better fit for someone else than for me. I kept looking for that better fit for me.

I've seen a failure--perceived or real--stop people in their tracks. Life stops for them. They refuse to move forward, instead choosing to look back on a negative event in their life. Their days are spent with "what could have been," "why me" or "why not me" thoughts.

A healthy look back includes looking forward:

• Imagine progress--Where can you pick up and go from here? What can you learn from the flop that will help you in your next move? Are your goals still valid? Are they attainable? If not, what needs to change? Analyze and move forward in a way that makes sense.
• Accept risk--Part of any progress is the inherent risk. Because you are moving forward into uncharted waters, you don't know for sure what will happen. It can be bad as easily as it can be good. Accept that some rain will fall on your parade. That's no reason to call it quits.
• Do the necessary work--Determine what needs to happen and do it. Is it more education? Is it a change in direction? Is it adjusting goals to something more reasonable? Is it finding a new route? If you're goal is worth achieving, it's worth working for.

To summarize, looking back can be a good thing--after all, there is a reason cars have rear view mirrors. But be sure to reminisce in a healthy way, with a positive look forward. There may be "no time like the present," but the present is made better with some forethought.

Looking Back/Go Deep

Life is linear, according to Captain Benjamin Sisko of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Now I'm not a "Trekkie," but I've always enjoyed a good Star Trek episode, especially if it followed an intriguing theme. The one I'm thinking of today is one where the star of Deep Space Nine explored the dynamics of living a linear life with a group of seemingly omniscient beings who saw all of time--the past and future--all at once.

Captain Sisko was trying to educate these beings about what life was like not knowing for sure what would come next. As he explained it, life is like baseball. Everyone gets a chance at bat. The pitcher throws the ball. The batter may or may not swing. If he swings, he may miss the ball or hit it. Where it goes remains to be seen. Based on what happens, everyone responds and the game progresses to a final conclusion.

And that, he said, makes life exciting and challenging.

Now imagine a batter who hits the ball, but rather than running the bases, he stops and looks up at the rerun of his hit on the big screen. Over and over again, he reviews the hit without moving. Of course he'd be tagged out. The technicians would eventually stop playing the rerun of the hit and instead would be showing him motionless on the field. The umps would finally have him escorted off the field, ejected for...whatever. Failing to play the game?

I've seen people do that. Essentially, they become disqualified from playing the game of life. And it's their own doing, not something that anyone has done to them.

There are two scenarios I've witnessed that seem to lead to this paralysis.

One is when a person has achieved something remarkable very quickly. Maybe it is success in a profession much earlier than any expected. Maybe it is hitting a milestone that is typically perceived as a crowning achievement in a particular field--but doing it at a very young age. Then the question becomes, "Where do I go from here?"

We see this with major sports stars who win the championship rings, break all the records, and enjoy unbridled adulation from their fans. Then, they retire in their mid- to late-thirties. What does life hold for them after that? Unfortunately, we see too many of them spending the rest of their lives looking back to what was rather than moving forward to what can be.

Not you? Well, it could be, even if it is in a micro sense. Have you ever had a tug on the shoulder and something whisper in your ear, "Things used to be better. Remember when..." For the time you contemplate that thought, you're paralyzed. You're the baseball player between first and second, looking up at the instant replay.

Thoughts of now disappear as you indulge in what used to be. And have you noticed how "used to be" really looks much better in hindsight than it probably was in real time?

I'm not saying, "Don't go there!" I'm just saying recognize it for what it is. Can you learn something from that experience that will help you move forward with life today? How can the platform of that success help boost you to the next level today?

Realize that life is linear. Just because you aren't playing it, doesn't mean that life sits there patiently waiting on you. Time rolls on.

Another way to handle success is to see it through a different lens. Success isn't just in the achievement or in the recognition. It's in doing something well. Success can be a by-product, but it doesn't necessarily come with the effort. Be content in the "accomplishment" of mastering best practices in a given situation.

What's the other cause of living-linear paralysis? Let's discuss that on Friday.

Looking Back/Think About It

When moving forward, it's not advisable to spend a lot of time looking backwards.

Imagine driving a car. A rear view mirror can be a very helpful tool. You look back to see where you've been. You look to see if the way is clear for a move into the next lane. You look back to identify who's honking.

But all of these are glances. There's no way you can drive forward in a safe manner by looking exclusively in the rear view mirror. (Unless your goal is to be part of tomorrow's accident report column in the daily newspaper.)

It's true of living life as well.

I interviewed a general contractor once, asking him what structure he was most proud of having been a part of building. He knew immediately. It was a rather plain office building; however, it's location made it a prominent edifice, easily seen from a major highway. It was a simple structure with clean, crisp lines. Driving down the highway, it looked as if you would drive right into it. But shortly before you reached the building, the highway took a curve to the right so that you slipped past it.

It wasn't the tallest or the most complex or even the most expensive construction project he had overseen. But, it was a good memory. Every time he drove past it, there was a certain sense of satisfaction.

To me, this is a good example of looking back. It's healthy to review a past experience that represents accomplishment or growth. It builds self-esteem and confidence as you move forward to other projects--hopefully, bigger and better than the ones before.

But there is an unhealthy way of looking back on life. A way that causes you to miss what's ahead of you. A way that causes you to stumble, because you fail to clearly see the obstacles that obscure your path. And a way that keeps you from recognizing the opportunities that present themselves in the moment.

We all have a tendency to look back. The question is, when does it become a hindrance to your moving forward? Think about it, and we'll talk more on Wednesday.