You hear the term Christ-Centered Slow Living a lot around here, simply it is the lifestyle we see depicted in the Bible and although we live in a very different culture we are still able to glean truth from God’s Word and apply it to our daily lives. There are, however, a few prerequisites to pursuing this type of lifestyle. One is that you know God and the other is that you know yourself.
This is a journey to find your true self and shed your false self. As we live here in the world, we can unconsciously or consciously believe lies about who we really are and our true identity. Belief in these lies becomes our false self. May we know ourselves more and may we know our Father in increasing measure!
It is such a beautiful journey(and at times difficult) to begin to understand who God created you to be. In Ephesians 1 starting in verse 3 we get a profound glimpse into who we are! So take a sip of coffee and enjoy the truth of Scripture!
Know God & Know Yourself
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
In love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace,
with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness
of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known
to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose,
which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time,
to unite all things in him, things in
heaven and things on earth.
-Ephesians 1:3-10
Isn’t this absolutely amazing!?! We have so many beautiful spiritual blessings that speak to who God created us to be. Let’s just pause to think about this truth…before God created the world he knew in his heart that he would create you, You were not only chosen but adopted. You were not a mistake or an accident, you were fearfully and wonderfully made, you were created for a specific purpose, with a unique personality and God has a plan for you! Learning how to know God and know yourself is of critical importance in your emotional and spiritual development.
We really need to marinate in these truths. It will take time, so I encourage you to go back to this passage over the next few weeks. For the record, although God spoke this truth to me, in a very vivid way, on a long, dusty, winding road in the mountains of Honduras. I still can get sucked in, when the whispers of the world tell me differently, I can get caught believing lies about myself quite easily. Making the time to stay rooted in God’s Word is the key to knowing who you are, why you are here, and the depth of God’s love for you. You may want to engage in the Spiritual Discipline of Solitude as a foundation for this pursuit.
Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say,
true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts:
the knowledge of God and of ourselves.
– John Calvin
Firstly, some things about our lives as Christian women are clearly written about in the Bible. I don’t have to ponder my role as wife and mother too much because Scripture already speaks clearly on this and quite frankly I find this very comforting! There are other things about ourselves, like our personalities that take a bit more time to explore. Knowing God and knowing ourselves is a critical part of pursuing Christ-Centered Slow Living.
I’d like to mention two of my favorite tools to aid you in this process. Let’s face it, finding one’s intended self is a journey and a bit of a mystery. Here is some help, make time in the next week to take both the Meyers-Briggs and the Enneagram. Both of these tools will be of tremendous help as you seek to understand yourself better and appreciate the way God has made you. They are also quite fun!
Lastly, on the journey to finding your authentic self, I want to leave you with the words of Paul “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
YOUR TURN…
Christ-Centered Slow Living Know God & Know Yourself, what is your enneagram type?
Blessings,
