I started a new book and decided to review it chapter by chapter as I went through it. It is by Patrick Morley who wrote The Man in the Mirror. This book really seems to build on what I can remember of his writing themes and is very easy to read and identify with. Like the last book of his I wrote about, I got it from my church on Father’s Day and hope to improve who I am by reading it.
I am bidding on a baseball card that I have been interested in since 2013. It is coming from South Korea reportedly, but the shipping mentions Greater China. I used to worry about stuff from China being fake or of low quality and I do not mean “not meeting specifications”. If this one is a fake, it’s a very good one sitting in a case from a well-regarded entity. One of the many concepts floating around in Christendom is the idea of being fake. Being good to all outward appearances, but inwardly not following Christ. In my mind, the purpose of the book is to make sure we are not seen as fakes.
The first chapter is on Identity: Settling Who I Am and What My Life is About. Interestingly enough, I am going through a phase of making sure that the things I want my life to be about are actually the things my life is about. I am drawn to playing the guitar, but my skill set is lacking, and I do not think my time is best used putting in the practice it would require to overcome this lack of skill. I still want to play guitar, but it is a want I am choosing not to pursue.
The book list three things we all want in our lives: a cause, a companion, and a conviction. On first glance, my English is not robust enough to really understand the difference between a cause and a conviction, but I am not too old to learn. The author defines a cause as something we can give our lives to that makes a difference. The oddest thought about this to me is how many people pick a cause that does not make a difference or at least does not make a positive difference. He has several phrases that follow this up, but we all want to have significance.
The companion is at face value a big question? My life target was set on the expectation of having a wife to experience life with. Somehow, I do not think this is the basic driver for everyone. Many people seem to live a life just for themselves or have some sense of something else being enough for them. The author aligns with my view of a spouse, but he does not go into detail on how this might align with those called only to serve God.
His last piece defines conviction as a belief system that explains why the first two are so difficult. I assume he means finding a cause worth dedicating your life to and a companion you can spend your whole life with. Looking back, I did not have the idea of Pride being the key here, but it now jumps to the forefront of my mind. The obvious answer here is that the right belief system or conviction is being a Christian and following Christ. All humans are built with the drive to know God and so many fail to find Him.
I just failed to win the baseball card I wanted. That is a good thing as it went for way more than I would pay for it. Not nearly as much more as I expected, but enough more to keep my bank account where it is.
As with the book I previously discussed, the author has a section highlighted by the impact on our lives of the world, the flesh, and the devil. This are the obstacles we must overcome to define who we want to be in relationship to Christ and God the Father.
Now to the identity part. One aspect of our identity is our obituary identity or the identity we leave with those we impact in living our lives. Another aspect is our naked identity before God or the things we do that others do not see. As it turns out, our identity has been defined by God. We were made to be crowned with glory and honor. We are not to be wallowing in the filth of the world or succumbing to the temptations of the flesh nor being deceived by Satan. We are to live lives worth of glory and honor, a level of holiness that brings glory and honor to our Father and Savior. We have a purpose to tend to the tasks that God has before us; to provide for our families, to care for the world, and to love others.
The author then goes on to align our identity with our roles in life. The typical husband, father, son, brother, etc. There is no way to define who we are without considering the neighbors around us. And finally, the author aligns our identity to the outcome our lives are to have. You may know them as the fruits of the spirit. Gal 5:22-23.
In the end, the chapter is about one thing. Our individual choice to affirm Christ as our savior and our desire to be the man who God created us to be. (Or woman for my girls reading this.) Our identity is to be in Christ. It is our first duty to chose to follow this path. My girls started a new school year today; a big one for each in there own way. I pray they tackle it with their identity firm in Christ.