Progress

This past Sunday the via sacra (sacred road) series concluded. Over the previous two weekends, we have contemplated the pathway of real personal change through the lens of prayer and wise decision making. This past Sunday we considered the idea that change involves a progression that begins on a foundation of faith.

Chris suggested this useful image: when the thing that moves you is broken, you are faced with a choice: push the pedal (try harder) or pop the hood (understand what is broken). The Bible suggests that the only effort that matters is the effort that builds upon a truer view of how things really are. And the way we personally align ourselves with this truer view is through faith. Faith “sees”: it sees the person and character of God, it sees the life that Jesus models and gives to those who fully embrace him. Faith sees that while human effort matters, such effort must be built upon a proper sync with reality. The words which ordered our thoughts were taken from the apostle Peter’s second letter:

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. [2 Peter 1:5-7]

The idea of a progressive view of personal change has several implications. First, that change is intimately connected to a view of reality. When we see ourselves as spiritual (not merely material) beings, made by and for God, then we will see how personal transformation must be realized through faith. Faith in the New Testament is simply trust in God, the personal realization that my choices and circumstances can be infused with his ability and help. Faith is ultimately a worldview issue, not a positive mental attitude. Faith is not personal confidence, but God confidence.

Second, a progressive view of personal change understands that we can and should add effort to our faith. This does not mean that grace allows us to “go it alone”. But on the platform of God’s grace, or in the sea of God’s grace, we work out what we have been given. We live and grow and build this life. Faith always embraces a paradox: it rests, even while it works; it trusts even while it tries; it receives, even while it is required to give out. Somehow, through faith, our efforts become more than merely our own.

Third, we learn to put boundaries around the life we are given. We learn to say no to things that hurt us or distract us, and we do this so that the bigger yes of our lives can thrive and be protected. We learn that we need not be pushed around by every agenda, nor corrupted by every cheap substitute. For there is an agenda and a reality that is becoming clearer to us as we walk this way of faith.

And finally, we persevere, or in the words of my old basketball coach, “we keep on keepin’ on”. There is an everyday-ness to this life of faith, a common and unspectacular way in which we progress in life, but with truly wonderful effect. We are becoming.

Purposeful change happens when we are aware of the elements and connections of life, when we have an ecological understanding of things. A plant grows not merely because it has good soil, but because of sunshine and moisture and freedom from disease and pests. Growth is the result of multiple factors working together at the same time. We should see the same conditions for our human transformation: we grow by grace, and relationship, and true ideas, and a myriad of other helping factors. The difference for human transformation is that this doesn’t happen to us without us; we are personally and actively involved in the outcomes. In some mysterious way, we choose to grow while at the same time dependent on gracious conditions which enable our growth and for which we have no real control. For the statement which preceded our text earlier is that God “has given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). And we connect to all of these graces through faith.

This coming Sunday, we continue our discussions on the possibilities of change with a two-part series entitled Five Things You Can’t Not Know. We hope that you can join us at 9:29 or 11:11 am.