I believe in the power of vision. I consider myself a visionary leader, and I love supporting strong, clear, persuasive visionary leaders. I love (re)imagining kingdom possibilities, especially as it pertains to the local expression of the church. I'm a driven, goal-oriented, task-oriented, purpose-driven person, leader and Jesus follower.
Having said all that, I've also discovered the problem of vision. By its very nature, having a vision involves seeing myself in a preferred future, in a preferred context. It sees a life of fruitfulness and fulfillment. And in every case, that vision includes a preferred picture of me - the me I want to be, the me I have the potential to be, the me God made me to be - but nevertheless, me!
The simple fact is that God has a vision and a clear sense of purpose. God has a preferred future in a preferred context. God has a preferred people, and a preferred me. But I am not at the center of God's vision for me - God is. It's about the potential of the glory of the Lord, it's not about my potential. It's about God's preferred results, not my fruitfulness. So much of our "human potential" thinking ends up being about our true significance, the best contribution we can make, the possibility of being and making a difference.
As an educator I have often encountered Herman Mazlow's "Hierarchy of Needs." Mazlow saw human need fulfillment in terms of a pyramid. Starting at the base, each level of need must be fulfilled before the next level can be explored. If you're familiar with Mazlow's "Hierarchy," you'll recall that the baseline level of need fulfillment is "physiological," i.e., the need for food, health, sleep, sex, etc. If those needs are being met, then we can address the need for "safety," i.e., support, security, resources, etc. From there we can move to "belonging" (love, friendship, family) and "esteem" (confidence, achievement, respect from others). The ultimate goal is "self-actualization," i.e., creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, etc. In other words, being a fully formed, fruitful, fulfilled human being is the ultimate goal in life. As St. Irenaeus was to have said, "The glory of God is man full alive."
But is it really? Is the glory of God dependent on human potential? Isn't the final goal the glory of God itself and not human glory? I reminded of the passage in Isaiah: "I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another" (42:8). The problem with "vision" is that it's only natural to see ourselves at the center of the picture. We tend to attach our egos to the vision.
The story of Joseph is an excellent example. Joseph received a vision from the Lord (Genesis 37). What he noticed about the vision was that he seemed to be more significant than his brothers, and even than his parents. And he didn't mind reminding his brothers of his vision. It wasn't that he saw a lying vision, it was that he saw himself at the center of the vision. And so God had to deal with what he saw, how he saw it, and what the true meaning and purpose of the vision was. It wasn't that he was more significant than his brothers; it was that God would put him in a place of significance that would empower him to save the lives of his brothers. The vision was not about him, it was about God's plan, purpose and provision for the family of Jacob. It took God 13 years and many trials, but eventually Joseph got it. In prison, Joseph got a reputation for being an interpreter of dreams. So when Pharaoh had a disturbing dream, Joseph was called to interpret it, and as a result, was put in charge of Egypt (Genesis 41:41).
God had so arranged Joseph's life that it wasn't just the spiritual gift of interpreting dreams that was significant, it was the content of the dreams themselves and the role Joseph would end up playing in Egypt, resulting in the saving of the lives of his family. In the end, Joseph clearly understood the true nature and purpose of the vision. When he finally saw his brothers bowing before him he confessed, "Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you" (Genesis 45:5).
Some describe this as the "death of a vision." But it wasn't the vision that needed to die but the attachment of Joseph's ego to the vision. He needed to learn to take himself out of the vision.
So God has a purpose and a plan, God has a vision for each one of his children. But God doesn't need a lot of help from us to see that vision clarified or fulfilled. He just needs us to learn how to stay close, keep our hearts and minds focused on God and God's glory, to be sensitive and responsive to his perfect timing each step along the way.
Some have recently discovered that later in life Abraham Mazlow added a higher level to his pyramid. He saw that something even more important than "self-actualization" was "self-transcendence," i.e., altruism and wisdom. He saw that an actualized self was not really that significant until it could be poured out and given away in a life of self-forgetfulness and self-sacrifice. What the Bible calls "love." "Mazlow and Self-transcendence"
It reminds me of that old Irish hymn, "Be Thou My Vision." May we learn to make that our daily prayer. "Be Thou My Vision"
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Saturday, May 17, 2014
What I Have (re)Learned About the "Wilderness"
For some odd reason reflections on the "wilderness" and a "wilderness experience" have been a frequent theme in my life and ministry. (It might have something to do with my "melancholy" temperament.) On the one hand, we see an entire generation of Israel die in the wilderness; on the other hand we see the Holy Spirit leading Jesus into the wilderness. The history of Christian spiritual formation often refers to "Desert Spirituality" and the "Desert fathers and mothers." So what is really at stake with this strange theme? And is it relevant in our own spiritual sojourn? Here are a few of my reflections from personal experience:
The wilderness is a time of vulnerability. Entering into a wilderness experience finds us in a place of weakness, a place of profound need. It's very scary to feel stripped and open to attack from all sides. It can be a very lonely time with feelings of isolation and abandonment. It can disorienting with a sense of disconnection. When Jesus was in the wilderness Matthew simply recorded that "he was hungry" (4:2). The simple fact is that the wilderness would not have its transformative effect if it did not involve vulnerability.
The wilderness is a time of dependence. All of the normal supports disappear in the wilderness. We can fool ourselves into believing that we aren't all that needy, that we can pretty much take care of ourselves - until we hit the desert. Then all sense of strength and self-sufficiency fall away. The tendency to be independent is shown to be a sham. When Israel found themselves in the wilderness they soon discovered that they were completely dependent on God to provide for their most basic needs. The Lord even gave them bread from heaven to eat (Exodus 16:15).
The wilderness shows our need for discipline. If nothing else the wilderness can be a very effective training tool. None of us are perfect (or really that mature). All of us need further growth and development. Entering into a wilderness experience can be an indication that our current season of fruitfulness has come to an end and that we need to be prepared for the next season. Or it could indicate that we have started to become spiritually toxic and need time to get cleansed and healed, and then retooled for the next chapter of fruitfulness in our lives. Israel had to pass through the wilderness but they didn't need to spend 40 years there. For them, the wilderness indicated their need to be healed of their bitterness and to grow in their faith and trust in God. Remember how Moses tried to encourage the people: "If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid" (Numbers 14:8-9). Unfortunately they were too unhealthy to listen.
The wilderness is a time of intimacy. From our perspective it's easy to complain about the nature of the wilderness and our experience in it. It all sounds like very bad news, like it's something we should be able to avoid. However, from God's perspective, a time of vulnerability, dependence and training is a very good thing with potentially life-changing results. The prophet Jeremiah reflected this perspective: "I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the wilderness, through a land not sown. Israel was holy to the Lord" (2:2-3). Because the people were stripped for their self-sufficiency and independence, it was (potentially) a time of new intimacy with God. Understanding this encourages us to focus primarily on our walk with the Lord during times in the desert, to learn a new level of sensitivity to God's presence, word and leading.
The wilderness is a "school of obedience." Because we are so vulnerable in the wilderness, we can either despair and just wander around, or we can seek a new ability to see God, hear God, and more easily obey God. Israel had two unique opportunities to learn obedience in the wilderness: (1) Their appropriation of God's provision of "manna" required them to follow specific instructions concerning how much to gather and when to gather it (Exodus 16:19-26). If they didn't obey those instructions, God's blessing turned into a curse (Exodus 16:27-29). (2) After the camp of Israel got organized they were required to "set out" and to camp only as they obediently followed the Cloud of God's Presence (Number 9:17-23). Even for us, the wilderness presents an opportunity to learn anew how to follow God's Cloud.
The Holy Spirit leads us into the wilderness. If you view the desert as a very negative, destructive thing, you might conclude that it is demonic, that it is Satan that leads a person into the wilderness. However, the example of Jesus, while unique, gives us a sense of how someone might find themselves in a dry place. Matthew testified that "Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness" (4:1). Mark was even more descriptive when he wrote, "Immediately the Spirit impelled him to go out into the wilderness" (1:12 NASB). If we needed a wilderness experience there is no way the devil would provide it for us. We can be sure that our desert experience has been crafted and designed by God's Spirit - to do us good and not to harm us.
God is faithful in the wilderness. We may not know why we're in the wilderness, and we may not have a very good response to it. No matter how weak - or even unfaithful - we might be, God always remains faithful. Before going into the promised land Moses reminded the people of Israel, "Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years" (Deuteronomy 8:4). God is forming us, not punishing us, in the wilderness. God's love and care for us remains consistent throughout our wilderness journey.
It's possible to die in the wilderness. It's one thing to fail to understand why we are having a wilderness experience, or even fail to respond well to it. It's another thing to stubbornly rebel against it, to refuse to cooperate with it, and to insist that we "go back to Egypt." It's possible to simply circle the mountain over and over again, year after year, until we die in the wilderness, never having experienced the intimacy and transformation that was available for us there. The first generation of Israel coming out of Egypt was so bitter and had so little trust in God, that entire generation had to die in the wilderness before their children could experience the blessings of the journey. The Lord made it clear when he declared, "not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times—not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it" (Numbers 14:22-23). I can't imagine anything more tragic than to so completely miss God and the purpose of God that an entire generation has to be passed over. Or for even one person to be passed over.
The goal of the wilderness is the "promised land." The wilderness is a transit, not a destination. It is a means to an end - a vitally important means to an end. The goal is the "Promised Land." There is a destiny at stake. Ultimately, the wilderness tells us that God is the destiny, God is the inheritance of God's people. God told Israel, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land" (Leviticus 25:38). He brought us out - he led us through - in order to bring us in. The "land" is all about the future, a new experience of the power of God that comes from a new dependence on God, a new season of increased fruitfulness. A new ability to be used by God to see God's kingdom come and God's will done, on earth as it is in heaven. None of those things is possible without passing through the wilderness.
And so, with greater vulnerability and humility, a deeper intimacy and dependence on God, a purer heart and a gentler spirit, the wilderness is preparing us. While on the journey we would be wise to respond with an open heart, with a spirit of faith and thanksgiving. And at the right time, God will bring us in. Don't be surprised when he does!
The wilderness is a time of vulnerability. Entering into a wilderness experience finds us in a place of weakness, a place of profound need. It's very scary to feel stripped and open to attack from all sides. It can be a very lonely time with feelings of isolation and abandonment. It can disorienting with a sense of disconnection. When Jesus was in the wilderness Matthew simply recorded that "he was hungry" (4:2). The simple fact is that the wilderness would not have its transformative effect if it did not involve vulnerability.
The wilderness is a time of dependence. All of the normal supports disappear in the wilderness. We can fool ourselves into believing that we aren't all that needy, that we can pretty much take care of ourselves - until we hit the desert. Then all sense of strength and self-sufficiency fall away. The tendency to be independent is shown to be a sham. When Israel found themselves in the wilderness they soon discovered that they were completely dependent on God to provide for their most basic needs. The Lord even gave them bread from heaven to eat (Exodus 16:15).
The wilderness shows our need for discipline. If nothing else the wilderness can be a very effective training tool. None of us are perfect (or really that mature). All of us need further growth and development. Entering into a wilderness experience can be an indication that our current season of fruitfulness has come to an end and that we need to be prepared for the next season. Or it could indicate that we have started to become spiritually toxic and need time to get cleansed and healed, and then retooled for the next chapter of fruitfulness in our lives. Israel had to pass through the wilderness but they didn't need to spend 40 years there. For them, the wilderness indicated their need to be healed of their bitterness and to grow in their faith and trust in God. Remember how Moses tried to encourage the people: "If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid" (Numbers 14:8-9). Unfortunately they were too unhealthy to listen.
The wilderness is a time of intimacy. From our perspective it's easy to complain about the nature of the wilderness and our experience in it. It all sounds like very bad news, like it's something we should be able to avoid. However, from God's perspective, a time of vulnerability, dependence and training is a very good thing with potentially life-changing results. The prophet Jeremiah reflected this perspective: "I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the wilderness, through a land not sown. Israel was holy to the Lord" (2:2-3). Because the people were stripped for their self-sufficiency and independence, it was (potentially) a time of new intimacy with God. Understanding this encourages us to focus primarily on our walk with the Lord during times in the desert, to learn a new level of sensitivity to God's presence, word and leading.
The wilderness is a "school of obedience." Because we are so vulnerable in the wilderness, we can either despair and just wander around, or we can seek a new ability to see God, hear God, and more easily obey God. Israel had two unique opportunities to learn obedience in the wilderness: (1) Their appropriation of God's provision of "manna" required them to follow specific instructions concerning how much to gather and when to gather it (Exodus 16:19-26). If they didn't obey those instructions, God's blessing turned into a curse (Exodus 16:27-29). (2) After the camp of Israel got organized they were required to "set out" and to camp only as they obediently followed the Cloud of God's Presence (Number 9:17-23). Even for us, the wilderness presents an opportunity to learn anew how to follow God's Cloud.
The Holy Spirit leads us into the wilderness. If you view the desert as a very negative, destructive thing, you might conclude that it is demonic, that it is Satan that leads a person into the wilderness. However, the example of Jesus, while unique, gives us a sense of how someone might find themselves in a dry place. Matthew testified that "Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness" (4:1). Mark was even more descriptive when he wrote, "Immediately the Spirit impelled him to go out into the wilderness" (1:12 NASB). If we needed a wilderness experience there is no way the devil would provide it for us. We can be sure that our desert experience has been crafted and designed by God's Spirit - to do us good and not to harm us.
God is faithful in the wilderness. We may not know why we're in the wilderness, and we may not have a very good response to it. No matter how weak - or even unfaithful - we might be, God always remains faithful. Before going into the promised land Moses reminded the people of Israel, "Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years" (Deuteronomy 8:4). God is forming us, not punishing us, in the wilderness. God's love and care for us remains consistent throughout our wilderness journey.
It's possible to die in the wilderness. It's one thing to fail to understand why we are having a wilderness experience, or even fail to respond well to it. It's another thing to stubbornly rebel against it, to refuse to cooperate with it, and to insist that we "go back to Egypt." It's possible to simply circle the mountain over and over again, year after year, until we die in the wilderness, never having experienced the intimacy and transformation that was available for us there. The first generation of Israel coming out of Egypt was so bitter and had so little trust in God, that entire generation had to die in the wilderness before their children could experience the blessings of the journey. The Lord made it clear when he declared, "not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times—not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it" (Numbers 14:22-23). I can't imagine anything more tragic than to so completely miss God and the purpose of God that an entire generation has to be passed over. Or for even one person to be passed over.
The goal of the wilderness is the "promised land." The wilderness is a transit, not a destination. It is a means to an end - a vitally important means to an end. The goal is the "Promised Land." There is a destiny at stake. Ultimately, the wilderness tells us that God is the destiny, God is the inheritance of God's people. God told Israel, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land" (Leviticus 25:38). He brought us out - he led us through - in order to bring us in. The "land" is all about the future, a new experience of the power of God that comes from a new dependence on God, a new season of increased fruitfulness. A new ability to be used by God to see God's kingdom come and God's will done, on earth as it is in heaven. None of those things is possible without passing through the wilderness.
And so, with greater vulnerability and humility, a deeper intimacy and dependence on God, a purer heart and a gentler spirit, the wilderness is preparing us. While on the journey we would be wise to respond with an open heart, with a spirit of faith and thanksgiving. And at the right time, God will bring us in. Don't be surprised when he does!
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