Seek Shalomনমুনা

SHALOM WITH SELF

In my early twenties, I had genuinely committed to my Christian faith. But boy, was it a struggle. I felt so bad for being such a lousy Christian. I would fall to my knees in my apartment and beg God to help me to do better and be better. I placed my faith in Jesus and pledged my allegiance to Him, so why was I failing to live like it?

Becoming a Christian is not just a moment of conversion; it's a lifetime of formation.

The moment that we confess Christ as Lord, we become a believer. However, a lifetime of faithfully following Jesus truly forms us into Christians, that is, “little Christs.”

Choosing Jesus as Lord is not the end of our faith journey; it is the beginning.

Paul gives us this beautiful metaphor in Colossians 2 of what it looks like to follow Jesus - it’s a picture of a tree with deep roots. Paul challenges us to let our roots grow deep down into Jesus and let our lives be built on him.

When we see a tree with roots that go down deep into fertile, nutrient-rich soil, we find a tree healthy and flourishing on the surface.

When our roots go deep into the soil of Jesus, we receive all the things we need to grow, flourish and bear good fruit.

Shalom with self is understanding that our identity is rooted in Jesus.

When we get that right, we will be at peace with ourselves.

When we get that wrong, we struggle with our identity and who we want to be.

Paul challenges us to be rooted in Jesus, but then follows this encouragement with a warning:

“Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world…”

In the 21st century, I think an apt description of what Paul warns is what Dr. Leonard Sweet called “Youniversalism.”

Youniversalism says that we each get to be the center of the universe.

That is reinforced by the more than 5000 ads and messages we encounter every day. These form an anti-Gospel self-ology that, rather than inviting us to know God, simply invites us to be god. Our creedal confession transforms from “Jesus is Lord” to “It’s all about me!”

When we put down deep roots in Jesus, we become anchored in our faith. When the storms come and the winds blow, we remain steadfast because of our deep roots. We may be battered by the empty philosophies or the spiritual powers of this world, but we remain unmovable in our faith. We don’t waver.

Os Guinness declared of our present day, “The age of the internet, it is said, is the age of the self and the selfie. The world is full of people full of themselves. In such an age, “I post, therefore I am.”

The world tells us that more and more our identity comes from the content that we create, the digital presence we cultivate, and the online persona we are so careful to craft.

But your identity is rooted in Jesus. Christ completes you.

For much of high school and college, I was passionate, but without purpose. I was always looking for a cause to champion, something noble to anchor my identity. My senior year of high school was the beginning of the first Gulf War, and I wore a homemade armband with a peace symbol to school every day and wrote essays of protest while condemning the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. In college, I advocated for animal rights, becoming a vegan, refusing to wear leather, and protesting the circus each time it came to town, marching with my “Cruelty is Not Entertainment!” placard in the parking lot. I then shifted to environmentalism, promoting reduce-reuse-recycle on our campus and covering my car with pro-environment bumper stickers.

We certainly need to be passionate about the things we believe in, but my passions were misguided because I didn’t care about animals or the environment on a deeply personal level; I just found purpose and identity in being a part of these movements.

But peace with self is understanding that our identity is rooted in Jesus, and Christ completes us.

This leads to a higher level of flourishing and a greater sense of purpose and satisfaction in life.

At nearly fifty now, I’m as passionate as ever. I’m still fighting for the things I believe in, but I’m no longer defined by them. I’ve given my life to the things that matter most while staying grounded in Jesus. I’m happy and content.

That’s shalom.

What is your shalom?

REFLECTION

Shalom with self is understanding that our identity is rooted in Christ. Where else may you be tempted to root your identity?

This plan was adapted from a chapter of Jim McKenzie’s book, One Generation to the Next: A Guide to Forming Your Faith and Finding Your Way. Order your copy today!