August 3rd - An Authentic Life

This past week's discussion was centered around what it means to live an authentic life. It was the first in the series of moving beyond the cliches that many of us have become numb to, the cliches of "realizing the important things in life", "following your passion", "living like you are dying", "seizing the day", and on and on. All of these are wonderful expressions, but I wonder sometimes about the true value they have in our daily lives and in our daily walk with God. If you are like me, they often have no relevance at all because my outlook and my perspective does not allow for such freedom. This freedom is not experienced because my perspective is often self-centered and not God-centered.

To me, alignment with our Creator is what this study is all about. Our struggles for purpose, for fulfillment, for authenticity take root in our desire for independence and individualism. Romans 8:6 says "Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life."

As Christians, a "free life" is not one of independence and individualism. Human beings are imperfect, sinful, and needy. In Brennan Manning's insightful book Abba's Child, the author describes this inner struggle as a battle between one's true self, described by a love of God at the expense of self, and the impostor, who loves self at the expense of God. Both are a part of human nature and the struggle to accept the call of an authentic life. Neither the true self, nor the impostor can be vanquished from the human life. Authenticity requires we embrace them both.

Manning writes "As we come to grips with our own selfishness and stupidity, we make friends with the impostor and accept that we are impoverished and broken and realize that, if we were not, we would be God." It is our brokenness that establishes our dependence on our Creator; and it is through this dependence on the Creator that the authentic life is revealed.

I hope you will join us in class this week as our discussion continues and we begin to uncover practical ways to embrace the life God has called us to lead.