Now when it comes to film review, I'm no Tom Sebo, but I just watched the movie “Ghost Town” on DVD, and I liked it! There's a great line given between the two leading actors that really caught my attention. “...What do you think I'm just going to change?...In all your life, have you ever actually known anybody who has changed at all...ever?”
What a great question! Can people change for the better? Can addictions be broken? Can patterns of living and thinking be radically altered? Can an angry person find peace? Can an arrogant, self obsessed individual learn to love and live for the good of others? Can manipulative and controlling people overcome their insecurities and learn to let go? Can inner demons be confronted and overcome? Or are we stuck with our lot in life, trying at best to manage, mask and justify our dysfunctions?
It seems that for the vast majority, their pattern of living is almost set in stone from the time of their youth. Once people reach their 20's, most of their decisions about attitudes, lifestyle and world view are locked away. So to look inside and understand who you are and why you do the things you do, and then to choose to confront, address, and change the things that are unhealthy is a monumental thing. Yet this kind of change is not only very necessary but absolutely possible. The evil we struggle against is not external but actually inside us in the form of bad habits, insecurities, fear and lies that have been believed. Unless this evil is confronted it will destroy us and those we love.
Deep and lasting change takes place in someone's life, around the wholehearted pursuit of three things: To genuinely seek to know and understand God; To understand the Good news about what God offers us right here and now; and to pursue a deep and honest understanding of yourself. These three must be pursued together and continuously, because to stop pursuing any of the three, makes change impossible. To do the hard work of the soul and be willing to face up to who you really are is a very rare thing, but it allows the whole process of change to begin and shines the light on the broken parts of you that need intensive surgery. To understand God connects you to radical love that fuels and resources all change in your life. To discover that He has genuinely good news for you stirs within you the desire to live and reach for more.
The people in this world that we admire the most are not necessarily those who have achieved great things, but those who have faced their demons, dealt well with their stuff and have emerged out the other side bigger, deeper stronger and with something to say. These people are the real heroes. Personal growth and change is necessary, possible and beautiful.
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Thanks for this, Jaemin - you always write something worth reading!
ReplyDeleteI can't think of any greater change, than from living for yourself, to living to lay down your own life. 20-something years as a "christian", & I'm only just beginning to grasp this! Something so rich, yet so hidden!
In Christian circles, there can be a perception, that changes in externals are what is important. That you can tell someone has changed because they no longer drink to excess, don't swear or smoke, and have changed the way they dress. (I was once told to change my image to look more Christian - at the time I listened. Now I think that's completely off base!) I felt at one time that to be a proper Christian, I was required to pretty much obliterate my own identity to fit some prescribed mould. In many ways my journey since then has been one of coming back to myself!
I caught up with friends last weekend, who I haven't had contact with, until recently, for over 20 years. Good friends, & people who have been and are close to my heart. There was a great sense that we were essentially the same people. In many ways, after all these years I feel I am more myself than ever I was - so much more comfortable in my own skin (partly just comes with age, I think). I wonder how different I might appear to those who have known me a long time - it would be an interesting question to ask (& perhaps I will).
I know that the ways in which I view the world, myself and others have changed profoundly. What drives me is not what once did - & the change is incredibly deep. Yet I have not become somebody else - as I give over more of my life and heart to God, there's such a sense of "coming home" & back to myself, the more I give myself away.
"Whoever finds his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." - Jesus.
I am learning to walk in those words, and as I do, I am finding them to be absolutely true!
Hi Kerry, thanks again for your kind comments. Good on you for doing the hard work of the soul yourself so that you can feel at home in your own skin. It is a tough journey but an essential one.
ReplyDeleteHey Jaemin - actually it's you who is being too kind! I have to say, I can't claim any real credit, for what change there has been - It's been beyond anything I could "work out" for myself! It's one of those things where you look back and just marvel at what God has done! It's very encouraging to be able to see it, though - makes me realise the territory I haven't covered & the stuff I haven't "got" yet is God's problem too - & that He's big enough to work it all out for me!!
ReplyDeleteHey - PS - I finally set up my own blog! Thanks for your encouragement :)
Hello Kerry and Jaemin
ReplyDeleteI think it is essential to go on a spiritual journey, to change yourself for the better what ever way you can, with your God's help or not.
However i dont think it's wise to think that only 1 set of books, the bible contains all the answers to life's questions. I think rational people should fear 1 book people, be they muslim, or marxists or christians.
The church (broadly speaking, not singling one or another out) does not do it self any favours by focusing just on the bible, people should educate themselves as widely as they possibly can.
Stuart
Hey there, Stuart,
ReplyDeleteI actually agree that any kind of blinkered view is dangerous.
Personally, I believe the Bible to be a trustworthy account of God's dealings with mankind - however it is open to so many different interpretations that it does not make sense to say that "following the text" is the only way, or at least that it is all there is! I think it is meant to lead us into relationship with God - & it is Him that we follow - not the text. It is a trustworthy guide, but it is not the journey.
God speaks to people in so many different ways - I believe He is into communicating with us - any way that works! I've had some profound insights that I'm sure were from God, through watching secular movies, talking to all kinds of people (often not "Christian" at all), reading all kinds of weird things, as well as just life experiences. I'm sure its the same with you.
The other side of communicating is also listening - & I think its really important to listen to where people, our culture, our world, is at! Can't do that by focusing solely on chapter and verse of anything!!
Bye for now,
Kerry