Aloha and welcome to another edition of TCD. I'm honored you chose to spend some time with us.
In this, the final chapter of Galatians, Paul provides his sage wisdom one last time to the Galatian Church. He challenges us to understand our unique nature, to intentionally approach our lives in that knowledge, and reminds us along the way that life is a function of what and where we contribute. Let's jump right in:
“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.”
In this passage Paul wants us to understand that God isn't asking us to be anything we aren't. We were uniquely designed and created by God for a purpose. Our charge is to be the best version of ourself and as Paul pens, "[do] the creative best you can with your life." That seems both reasonable and encouraging.
Note that the first step outlined for us is self-examination: "Make a careful exploration of who you are." I think this is a step most often foregone today. In our action-oriented culture, time to pause and reflect is generally garnered as a waste. Instead, we immediately react to circumstances and fall into a process, rarely pressing pause to ensure the machine is leading me where I should, and where I want to go. I know there are absolutely times in my life that I have fallen in lock-step with the masses, failing to truly explore who I am and make decisions from that vantage point.
Paul is reminding us that without clear direction, much of our valuable time and energy is consumed by stray voltage. If I am to be a good steward and make full use of the talents I have been given, I must first understand who I want to be and where I want to go. With the end in sight I can prioritize my life and live with intentionality.
“Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!— harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.”
"What a person plants, he will harvest." We are all familiar with a version of this statement. The simple, timeless truth Paul highlights is that we get out what we put in. Be it our jobs, our relationships, or even our bank accounts; what we get out is a function of what we contribute. The more consistently we build and nourish these aspects of our lives, the stronger and more resilient they become. With only limited time on Earth, we must ask: Am I living intentionally or simply putting out the fires closest to my feet?
Shifting gears, I also submit that who we surround ourselves with causes an output in us. Be it an accent or an expletive, we gain tendencies from those in close proximity to us, especially those we invest a relationship in. Understanding this truth, Paul urges us to lash up with God so that we might experience growth through His proximity. A relationship with God exposes us to His tendencies which provides us with a template to realize our greatest potential. This is what Paul is getting at with "letting God's Spirit do the growth work...." God wants us to achieve all that He designed us for, and He wants to show us the way. His habits can provide us a pathway to truly intentional living.
To recap, we are all charged with making good use of the talents presented us, output is absolutely a result of input, and those in our proximity profoundly affect us. To these points, I found Paul provided an excellent practical pathway:
Continually conduct self-examination to ensure you understand who you are, your unique talents, and your direction so you can achieve your full potential
Invest your time wisely and live intentionally
Carefully select who you allow close because they will have a profound impact on you either positive or negative
With these 'pro-tips' in mind I hope we can all curb our intention deficit disorder. Have a great day, share this with a friend, sign up for the email list and follow us on twitter: @TCD_actual. Best of luck achieving your 'creative best' this week.
-the contrary disciple