I recently sat with an older friend, someone in whom I find great wisdom. [Side note: You know, the older I get, the older the guys I seek wisdom from.] We lamented over the days we witness and the current chaos and division in discourse between friends and family. I wonder why, I asked my learned friend, and he was slow, thoughtful, yet direct in response.
It’s call individualism… the necessity people find in preferring themselves to others.
“It’s called ‘Individualism’”, he replied, “the necessity people find in preferring themselves to others.” I sat in silence, knowing if I waited I might receive more morsels of wisdom. My patience paid me dividends. “These days people fight to assert their needs over others, and as long as their right to be right is met, they stay quietly proud. But the moment they feel their right is squashed.…”. My friend paused, as if he wanted me to fill in the blank. I didn’t think words were needed.
As I have reflected on that conversation, I have found a deeper lament in the dirty soul of man, the promotion of what I have come to define as ‘The god of Self’ and the diminishing discipline of self-sacrifice. In my view, self-promotion is a public form of self-gratification, which is downright gross. Perverted action only comes from a perverted mind.
Individualism and the god of Self
In the very nature of the term, ‘The god of Self’, I have to find a problem, especially as a man of faith. I believe in the One True God, the Creator of All, Sovereign and subservient to none. Therefore, to make a god out of self would have to be classed as idol worship, (IMHO), for the Lord says, “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Ex 20:3)
Individualism is a blight on the purity of people and an offence to the One Who is Pure. I guess I can understand those who choose not to acknowledge Jesus as God, for they live by a different set of rules. But for those who choose to confess Jesus as Lord, I wonder how they can call him Lord and then assert themselves on the throne of their heart. Jesus says, “Not everyone who calls me Lord will enter God’s kingdom.” (Matt 7:21)
If I make a decision to preserve my preference, that’s a normal human condition. But when I make that choice knowing it has the potential to cause harm to others, that’s where I see the downfall in our nation. It is children, or the immature, that exclaim “I want” without considering others. It is the arrogant or selfish who exclaim “I need” at the cost of others. And this human choice as the result of the human condition is the antithesis of the instruction to “love others.” (Jn 13:34, 1 Jn 4:7-8, 1 Pt 4:8, 1 Cor 13:13)
The Bible says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Phil 2:3-4) This is self-sacrifice. The Bible also says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) And, “For whosoever would save his life shall lose it,” (Matt 16:25). These words, and many others, guide the Follower of Jesus into a lifestyle of choosing the altar, willingly sacrificing our mind, will and emotions. Daily.
What would our nation look like if the people who call Jesus “Lord” were the leaders in demonstration of ‘other-centred love’?
Not be be exclusive, rather most-likely offensive, Jesus himself told a story to answer the question “Who is my brother?” The Parable of the Good Samaritan will be familiar to many and serves to make sure we do not become proud of our friendship with God. An attentive reader will note the one who laid down his everything to tend to the needy was clearly not the member of the local church. While the Teacher purposely and pointedly provoked the proud, He was making sure we know that a heart is judged not by words, but by action. Anyone can choose the lesser path which is, in fact, the greater one. (Matt 7:13)
When we take our God-given freedom and manufacture an idol from the blessing, we risk everything. No place in scripture asserts the right to have personal rights, for if one is not willing to die, one cannot experience life. (Matt 16:25, Phil 1:21)
Unique Obedience
The purpose of this dissertation is not to promote uniformity, but instead to defame self-gratification. In order to present a balanced view we need to consider the other side. The flip-side to individualism is what I’ll call ‘Unique Obedience.’ One can certainly choose to be different without being self-serving in motive. Therefore, let us consider the importance of obedience, for obedience is better than sacrifice, (1 Sam 15:23).
Some people close to me have shared their struggle with going against the flow, being the minority and seeming to be opposing the greater good. Their reason for choosing an alternate path is not one of ambivalence, arrogance or aggravation. They feel, as far as these ones have shared with me, that their choice is the result of obedience. In that, they believe God has given them personal, unique instruction. And in some cases, this appears to be contrary to wisdom or guidance. In other cases, they believe its a solid and dependable outcome, which is still the product of an obedient attitude.
God told me.
When someone says to me, “God told me”, I have to pause, knowing the gravity of that position. I am not one to challenge their belief, but I am one to ask them to test their process. I, for one, am too fallible and prone to weakness to trust my own interpretation of what the Sovereign Lord of All might be saying to me. I always submit personal “God told me” messages to testing. So, my advice to those who adopt a position of obedience to God for their choice, I strongly recommend a robust testing methodology.
How to stay safe in obedience
For me, testing a ‘Rhema’ (current, now, fresh) word from the Lord comes in several phases. Submission to others — only older, wiser, sage-like friends who are personally connected and committed to me will do for me. These are not ‘Yes only people’, but honest, loving and devoted to my journey. Testing a ‘Rhema’ word against the ‘Logos Word’ (the Holy Scriptures) means ensuring what I think I am hearing is not contrary to the scriptures, for God almost never contradicts Himself. (That’s a bit confusing, I know, but trust me when I say the Bible never lies!) And finally, I always submit a significant decision to my Spiritual Oversight. If I am not submitted in covenantal relationship to a spiritual leader then I am at risk of becoming rogue and rebellious, which is tantamount to inviting witchcraft to rule.
The fruit of our lives comes from the decisions we make. The decisions we make flow out of the heart we hide. “Out of the mouth, the heart speaks.” (Matt 12:34, Luke 6:45) In this we must come to accept that the condition of our heart is revealed by the way we live our lives. And, in this, we will be judged by our actions and reap the consequences of our choices.
My simple point is this: self-serving motives will lead to widespread pain. I urge readers to choose the narrow path, the one that does not involve self-gratification through self-worship.
We can truly contribute to the greater good of society, to “love our brother and sister”, (Luke 10:27-28), when we lay down our preference, our comfort and our (perceived) rights. If we are in Christ, we have no rights. If we embrace our rights, we are not in Christ.
Practically, this looks like making personal life-choices that serve others.