"The Imposter" is out on the shelves of the Christian bookstores starting today. I hope you buy your own copy. If this movie can do well, we certainly hope to do more.
Sales pitch over, now I want to talk about a deeper message in the movie-- Getting Value Via Others. One of the (many) things I struggle with day to day in my flesh (Ego), is doing things so that others will value me. This might look like going on a mission trip because I want people to think I'm spiritual. Or making a movie so people will not only accept me, but think me valuable.
The danger here is that I give power over me to those people I seek Value. I become, in essence, a slave to that dysfunctional cycle. And it speaks to the deeper root, that to seek Value from others means that I don't have enough-- that I compensate for a self lack of value by seeking it in others.
It goes right against what God says in Psalms 139 about my value.
It's not the task that determines Ego or Purpose. In other words, volunteering at church every night the doors are open can be Purpose or it can be Ego. If it's Ego, it's precisely what the Pharisees do... Religion without relationship with God. And you can do a seemingly "un-spiritual" task and it be from Purpose. (Just look at Jesus-- he called one Gentile woman a dog).
Oh what a place to be! Where I don't seek value accreditation from man. Time to read Psalms 139 once again.
How do I figure out what's God and what's me? For years I tried to separate me from my music because I wanted God to be glorified, not me. I went into it prayerfully because of the ego. But how do you know? That gift was given to me, though. I fit in there somewhere don't I? I'm a recovering alcoholic and a BIG part of that was because I was seeking my value thru others. I know that's wrong...because God thinks I'm worthy, but I still got trashed every night. Stinkin' thinkin' Praise God for the journey!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Karen