Category: General

Revealing the False Self

Seth has been teaching a great series on identity over on his blog, this is from todays post “Escaping a prison of my own making”.

Brennan Manning does a good job of describing the impostor in his book Abba’s Child:

“Impostors are preoccupied with acceptance and approval. Because of their suffocating need to please others, they cannot say no with the same confidence with which they say yes. And so they overextend themselves in people, projects, and causes, motivated not by personal commitment but by the fear of not living up to others’ expectations…

Our false self stubbornly blinds each of us to the light and the truth of our own emptiness and hollowness. We cannot acknowledge the darkness within. On the contrary the impostor proclaims his darkness as the most luminous light, varnishing truth and distorting reality. This brings to mind the Apostle John’s words: ‘If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us,’ (1John 1:8).”
The first step in detaching from your false self is to recognize reality.

Pray and ask God to reveal where and when you began to put on this mask. Seek the help of a mentor or counselor. Life is too short to live as someone God never intended you to be.

With Every Fiber

Reflecting on his Navy SEAL training with his CO:

The training is brutal and unjust.

It has to be that way.

It is the only way we can find out if a man just likes the ideal of being a SEAL [Husband, Father, or a true Son of God] or if it is in his heart and every fiber of his being to be a SEAL [Husband, Father, or a true Son of God].

One other ideal struck me:

If a man ever entertains the ideal of quiting… He is done for. What we do externally to the candidate exposes what he thinks internally. Waiver for a moment and the pain will make the call for you.

The places in bold are the areas that God is working on me.

Posted on Mike Paschall’s Blog Site

The Anthem

The Anthem

I can hear the footsteps of my King
I can hear His heartbeat beckoning
In my darkness He has set me free
And now I hear the Spirit calling me

He’s calling wake up child it’s your turn to shine
You were born for such a time as this
He’s calling wake up child it’s your turn to shine
You were born for such a time as this
Such a time as this

And I can hear a holy rumbling
I’ve begun to preach another King
Loosing chains and breaking down the walls
I want to hear the Father when He calls

He’s calling wake up child it’s your turn to shine
You were born for such a time as this!
(x4)
Such a time as this

This is the anthem of our generation
Here we are God, shake our nation!
All we need is your love,
You captivate me!
(x4)

I am royalty, I have destiny,
I have been set free, I’m gonna shape history!
(x8)

I’m gonna change the world! (x7)

Want to Get to Know Somebody?

I’ve always had a tough time starting conversations. Not just that, but verbal communication in general for me has always been difficult. So whenever I see good conversation tips, I try to make a point to read them and put them into practice. Here are some good ones from Donal Miller’s blog post entitled “Want to Get to Know Somebody? Understand Their Story”.

A story is a character that wants something and overcomes conflict to get it. So next time you meet somebody, delve into their story, not their job or the weather they experience where they live. To find out a persons story, you have to find out what they want or have wanted in life, what conflict they endured in getting what they wanted, and what great moments of celebration they have experienced. Questions like this:

A CHARACTER THAT WANTS SOMETHING:

1. Why did you come to America?

2. What drives you?

3. What do you hope for for yourself and your family?

AND OVERCOMES CONFLICT:

1. That couldn’t have been an easy transition to America. What was the most shocking thing you endured?

2. Was that a lonely journey?

3. Did you ever think it wasn’t going to happen for you?

TO GET IT:

1. When did you realize you were happier than the average man?

2. If there could be a moment in the future when you’ll realize that you made it, what would that moment look like?

3. When the credits roll, what do you think is most important in life?

If you ask these questions, I promise, you will be entertained for the next hour. Not only will you hear stories, but you will watch as a person truly reflects on their life, and you’ll learn a great deal about what most people find important. You’ll be amazed that most people don’t really care about money or prestige, they care about love, about weddings and funerals, about children, about dignity and integrity.