Book Resource: A Secular Age by Charles Taylor
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” —Psalms 139:13-14 NIV
The lie we like about individualism is that we get to be the center of our universe.
Book Resource: Rethink Yourself by Trevin Wax
“[T]he purpose of life is to look in (to define yourself by your desires), look around (for support and affirmation), and then look up (for inspiration).” —Trevin Wax, Rethink Yourself
When you are the center of your universe, people are reduced to either an instrument
to be used or an obstacle to be removed.
“Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’” —John 8:31b-32 NIV
- God made us in His image.
“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” —Genesis 1:27 NIV
- God made us alive in Christ.
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins… But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” —Ephesians 2:1,4-5 NIV
- God made us for His purpose.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” —Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV
- God made us a new humanity.
“His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” —Ephesians 2:15b-16 NIV
- God made us one body.
“And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” —Ephesians 1:22-23 NIV
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” —Ephesians 4:15-16 NIV
Start with Him: Look Up
- Replace “I” with “I am”
- Discover your story within His story
- Invite someone you trust to ask, “Who’s in the center of your universe?”