Challenges
Recently I was interviewed for a friend's class in seminary. He asked me the question: What are the greatest challenges in becoming Christ-like today? What follows is my response to him and I pray that you are encouraged, enlightened, and empowered to walk in deeper intimacy with God, family with the Church, and awakening in the world.
As children of our Father God, followers of the Holy Spirit, and disciples of Christ Jesus, the Son, we are called to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and to go make disciples, baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to teach them to obey everything Christ Jesus commanded His disciples. Ultimately, as a Christian, the more that I recognize these commands and commission, the more that I become like Christ. At the same time, in the contemporary setting of the USA, there are a number of challenges that hinder one from becoming more like Christ. We live in a society in which there is a massive identity crisis, unhealthy and detrimental relationships, and desire to consume and be blessed, rather than to be a blessing through humility and service (both of which are Christ-like characteristics).
In this manner, I believe the first challenge at hand in our context is the idea of identity. As an American, one's identity is found in their job, their money, their family, their hobbies, their sexual desires, their material possessions, and many other items and activities. In short, in our contemporary setting, one's identity is found the things they feel or do. However, according to the Gospel truth found in Christ Jesus, the love and grace of the Father, and the in-dwelling Holy Spirit, we recognize that as Christians our identity is found in what Christ has done. The reality at hand with the Gospel is that our identity is not based upon the things we do or feel, but rather about what has been done through our Savior. The only thing that we do in this whole story is receive the Good News and live in the work of our Savior, rather than trying to earn our identity and self-worth through the job we work, money we earn, feelings we have, etc. This is a major challenge for the Church because it is a message that has not been preached as foundational in the Gospel, and in all honestly, the American Church is still more preoccupied with the American Dream rather than the Dreams of God revealed in Christ Jesus.
Secondly, because of a faulty foundation in our understanding of relationship, we have skewed views of God, of others, and of ourselves. This holds back Christians from becoming Christ-like in that there are unhealthy understandings of the self and therefore, similarly unhealthy understandings of the One who created us and others. If we understood our position as God's children, empowered uniquely to live abundantly and eternally as a family and community, our relationships would have better boundaries, more accountability, and less competition. However, in the American and Western context in which we live, people are not seen through a love that reveals their worth. Rather, people are seen as objects, as one-night-stands, as worth what they have in the bank account, as a competitor for a job or occupation, etc. This challenges our lifestyle in Christ and becoming more like Him not only through the vision we have of one another, but also because of the rampant individualism that is the root of our prideful visions. The reality in Christ is that we are formed into a people that are found in the identity that Christ gives, but the difficulty of this is that it is in competition with the reception of the other message that is spoken silently through our contemporary world context.
Finally, the third challenge that is present is connected with harsh individualism, and it is the desire to consume and be blessed, rather than to be a blessing through humility and service. The beauty of our King is that He reigns in authority and power that has been displayed in humility and service. The challenge in the world is that we see power and authority that only comes through money, status, oppression, and an identity that is formed through our work. There is little to no desire in the world to make a difference unless it is for a cause that will benefit the person doing the work as well. The call we have in Scripture is found in the covenant God gave Abram: we are blessed to a blessing. As adopted children of a Father who loves to bless us, our goal is not to consume those things, as we do in this society through shopping, eating, and luxury, but rather to release that blessing on the world around in order to reveal the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We live in a world and society in which our blessings are often times held to ourselves, or when they are given, the generosity is only there to make the person feel better. Our God blesses us to be a blessing in the only manner that blesses the spirit, soul, and body, and in the world we live in, that is just not the desire of consumers and individuals.
I would say that these three are not the only challenges to becoming more like Christ Jesus today, but they are the greatest challenges in hindering us, as Christians, of receiving and giving His love as we make disciples. In the end, I believe a shift and reformation can take place in the Church when Christians actually start living in the identity that is given through the work of Christ, seeing one another as God does, and living in a lifestyle of blessing and awakening that stirs hearts to true liberation and life. The challenges are present, but our God is much more real and present. The goal in all of this is to partner with His Presence in the midst of the difficulties, and if our Savior can overcome the grave on our behalf, He can surely empower us to live above these challenges. Amen.
