Being, Belonging, and Becoming – part 1

“Just be.” – spoken my many, followed by none

“I don’t belong anywhere.” – powerless when spoken as an accusation, powerful when owned as a realization

“That’s just the way I am.” – one of the saddest, most faithless phrases I’ve ever heard

I’ve been toying around with three human needs all of my life…being, belonging, and becoming. They came to me as this simple list of words on my way to the office this morning. I thought, “I bet I could categorize everything I’ve ever written, every sermon I’ve ever preached, every feeling I’ve ever felt under these three categories.”

Whether I can or not, I am fairly consumed with work of what they mean, how to practice them, and where they interact. So I thought I’d write about them directly for your consideration and feedback, one at a time.

Being

“Being” is a word that brings me peace. It confronts my inclination towards frenzy. It brings me back into the present.

It has been said that although we are referred to as “human beings,” we are better described as “human doings”. And at least in most of the developed world, the idea that we are in the “human race” takes on new meaning. The race we seem to be in seems so right and productive. It demands a life of “doing” to be sure. And the saddest thing is, most humans can not imagine an existence that is different (and often get angry when someone seriously suggests that there is). I hear so many cultural catch-phrases that that are embedded with the “wisdom” of busyness.

• “So much to do, so little time.” (so do as much as you can)
• “Time is money.” (so turn as much of the first into the second as possible)
• “With great power comes great responsibility.” (if you have a talent, it’s wrong not to use it at every opportunity)
• “Don’t just stand there, do something!” (As if just standing there isn’t sometimes the thing to do)

Flying in the face of this ever-present assumption that doing = joy, success, happiness, faithfulness is the age-old wisdom delivered through the Sons of Korah, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Ps 46).

A grown man wept uncontrollably in my presence yesterday. As he explained himself, he used words that capture in such an honest and raw way what is true, at some level, for all of us. He said,

“I have tried everything I know to do. I’ve taken it all on my own shoulders. I’ve been handling it all myself. I’m running myself ragged. It’s not working. I don’t know what to do.”

I told him to stop trying so hard and stop doing so much. I said that whatever it is that is next for him, the idea of ‘”letting it happen” will be better guidance than the idea of “making it happen.”

This theme runs throughout scripture (invisibly, to most of us)…

When faced with an overwhelming battle to fight, the people were told: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Ex 14:13-14)

When they opened their Bible’s for the first time in years, and felt convicted at how far their lives had strayed from the true and good ways, “the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve.” (Neh 8:11)

When others seem to have more success than them, and particularly when they do so with unfair, unjust or adversarial means, David says, “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” (Ps 37:7)

I’ve learned to depend on this in my life. It’s a far better (and simpler, and easier) way to live. His offer stands for every single person when he says, “Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.” (Zech 2:13)

And in case you need to see how Jesus applies this (which I always do), here’s how he goes about it: “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working. I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.” (John 5:17-20)

Nothing could be more practical than this.

Take note, doing addicts, that there is no need to defend the actual practice of doing some things. You will miss the heart of this message entirely if you need to pretend that I’m lifting up some sort of constantly inactive, un-diligent, lazy or apathetic view of things as the way of Christ.

On the contrary, there is plenty to do. Jesus said, “I, too, am working.” But if you do it by yourself, it will be nothing, and it will consume your life with fruitless doing.

There is no shortcut. We need to learn to see what God is doing and join him in that as he shows us all he does.

If you need something to “do” – then do that.

Next piece: Belonging

Discipleship, The Best Life