Men-

"Keep a clear eye toward life's end. Do not forget your purpose and destiny as God's creature. What you are in His sight is what you are and nothing more. Do not let worldly cares and anxieties or the pressure of office blot out the divine life within you or the voice of God's Spirit guiding in your great task of leading humanity to wholeness. If you open yourself to God and His plan printed deeply in your heart, God will open Himself to you." ~Francis of Assissi

In many ways that quote, taken from Gary's 5th Session titled, "Discovery," sums up our quest for the entire Calling weekend.  We have purpose and destiny in the Lord.  We must keep a clear eye and recognize that our truest selves rely solely upon God's view of us.  We must be led by the Holy Spirit. Our task is important: we uniquely fulfill, through our gifting, His desire to lead the world to wholeness.  We must look to our new hearts and there we will find Him opening Himself to us.  There, in our hearts, He is at work revealing our desires and their alignment with His plan.
Wow.  This calls to mind Morpheus in The Matrix as he invited Neo into the truth...into the journey to discover his true self:  "It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth...That you are a slave...Like everyone else, you were born into bondage, born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. A prison for your mind."  

But our new vision demands that we exercise maturity and wisdom.  In order to discover we must be able to discern God's truth in contrast to the false desires that litter the landscape of this world.  We are called to..."examine everything carefully; holding fast to that which is good." (1 Thess. 5-21)  This demands that we look candidly at the four sources of desire (our flesh, the enemy, our wounds...and our new heart) and that we be vigilant to guard against all lies while we pursue the hope of our hearts.  Remember Neo's distraction: the woman in red?  His heart is coming to life but he too must learn to identify the source of false desires in order to overcome them.  

This is a process...God's process of Awakening, Deepening and Fulfilling.  And, as Oswald Chamber said, "the test is to believe that God knows what He is after."  We discover what He is after as we listen to our hearts.  What are we curious about?  What core questions do we return to again and again?  What stories and films kindle our desire...and what about them matters so much to us?  What words of desire made our hearts race or skip a beat when looking at Gary's worksheet?  

As we live into an ever deepening relationship with Christ we find truth reflected in our deepening relationships with one another.  Those whom we entrust with our story - our personal history of how and who we've come to be -  are able to speak wisdom into the blindspots that persist on this journey.  C.S. Lewis said it best: "In each of my friends there is something that only some other friend can fully bring out. By myself I am not large enough to call the whole man into activity."  

Our loving Father wants us to come to Him with hope, again and again, praying for His revelation.  Praying that He speak truth into our lives and guide us on our path.  As Paul keeps asking, "...that the Father of glory may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints..." (Eph 1:17) 

Questions to consider this week:

1) Consistency is a great measure of importance.  Looking back, what has brought me to life...?  In films...?  In books...? In the workplace...?  In my home...?  Are there consistent themes? Without using a label (e.g., "teacher" or "writer" ), can I put into words what it is that I love to do...? Am compelled to do?  Can I articulate my desire?

2) What does it look like to open my story to others?  Coming out of our time at Wintergreen, am I willing to risk sharing the truth about myself with other men knowing that the payoff may be new vision and insight into who I am and who I'm called to become?

3) Do I believe that God has words for me that only He can share?  Can I even put into words what it is that I would love to hear from Him?

Please feel free to share your thoughts and discoveries.  We are posting these entries online at www.piercing-the-veil.com.  There we hope you will be able to revisit earlier messages or to share the site with other men as you continue on your journey.

With a grateful heart,


The Piercing the Veil Team

 


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