True Self/False Self

Okay - I AM on a digital sabbatical, but did prepare some advance postings for your perusal and reflections.

"Discovering our true selves requires that we discover God’s love. And that requires facing how many things our false self clings to as more valuable than God. If we learn to be quiet in the Spirit’s presence, we realize that’s what he’s doing. He’s robbing us of peace from every source other than God." ~Larry Crabb in Conversations Issue 1.2, fall 2003, 5

How has experiencing God's love helped you to discover your true self?

How are you doing learning to be quiet in the Spirit's presence? Do you fill "quiet time" with words (written and spoken), or are you leaning in for His whispers?

If you are daring, ask God to reveal to you one false thing you cling to this week...the key here is to ask him, not have your own conscience make the decision of what is false. To do this - take a few deep breaths - then imagine sitting with Jesus, the One in whom there is no condemnation (Rom 8:1) and who is for you and not against you (Rom 8:31-35)  in one of your most peaceful places - a spacious field of wildflowers, a mountain top vista, by a babbling brook, sitting across from you while you drink your morning coffee, in a sanctuary surrounded by stained glass windows, staring into a star-filled sky  - and in that place invite Him to lead you toward His higher, deeper, wider, broader love. (Eph 3:18-21). Every time you feel your mind wandering off to another topic, gently repeat a phrase such as "Lord, lead me into your deeper love"

• As you imagine Him near you/with you/by you - how do you feel?
• Look into His face - what do his eyes express to you?
• Does He have any words for you? Any invitations?
• How do His words, expressions or invitations make you feel?
• How do you want to respond to His invitations?

Sanctification - this un-ning of false self and becoming transformed into the image of Christ - is the process where the real God reveals His real self (not who I fear, imagine or want Him to be) to my real self (not who I fear, imagine or want myself to be.) The more He reveals His real self and my real self, the less ego I have - i.e. less need I feel to be defensive, competitive, right, first, noticed... in fact, quite often those latter things are what flag to me that I am not living in love/my true self found in His love.

May you find His peace and sweet invitations toward His transforming love today

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