Moving at the Speed of Creativity

In Chapters 5 and 6, Rick
considers what the Biblical metaphors for life would be. He correctly observes,
I think, that “Your unspoken life metaphor influences your life more than you
realize.” The repeated, conscious and subconscious messages we “program” our
minds with on a daily basis clearly do have a tremendous cumulative effect. This
is often not realized and
appreciated.

I think one of the
biggest challenges of being a Christian in the 21st Century is living an
intentional life, recognizing that the ways of the world are not the ways of the
Lord.

Rick correctly observes that if
we subscribe to a metaphor of life as a party, a race, a battle or a game, we
are more likely to live our lives out of step with God’s Biblical calling. Our
priorities will fall in step with this perspective, as will our daily routines
and activities. How many people today conceive of life as fundamentally a “rat
race?” It certainly can seem that way at times. But I think if we believe life
is a rat race, then we have defined life in this way for ourselves. To a large
extent, perception shapes our reality. That is why I think it is good to
remember, today, that life is only a rat race if we choose to be a rat, and to
enter into the race.

I think I prefer
to stick with my metaphor of life as a journey, filled with challenges,
relationships, trials and celebrations. How ridiculous it is when people
perceive themselves to be in a “life race” in which they have no time to rest,
no time to relax, no time to stop and celebrate the victories along the way! I
concur with Rick Warren that life can and should be viewed as a test, a trust,
and a temporary assignment. I also agree with his position that it is the little
things that matter. Just as Patrick Morley wrote in The Man in the Mirror, great
things in life generally do not come about from a single decision or a single
action. They are the result of intentional and repeated actions on a daily
basis, which move a person or a group toward a specific goal. Aristotle said the
same thing thousands of years earlier when he wrote, “We are what we repeatedly
do. Excellence then, is not an act but a habit.” Intentional christian is
not a noun, it is a verb.

Rick writes
that “When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is
insignificant in your life.” That is an extremely empowering and positive
message. This means that each moment of each day, we have an opportunity to make
a positive, intentional decision that matters and makes a difference. It may
only make a difference in our own life, but it is likely to make a difference in
the lives of others as well. I am a philosophical advocate for individual
volition / free will, within the bounds of God’s will (which of course makes
much of this discussion beyond human limitations to understand in finite
terms)– and this line of thought from Warren fits into this
nicely.

The decisions I make every
hour of every day make a difference. We are all on a journey of life, taking us
to a destination by a path we cannot wholly predict or understand. Yet we can
rest in the confident faith that the One who has called us will continue to
guide us, to strengthen us and uphold us along the way. href="http://www.wesfryer.com/christianresources/lotr_steward/"
target="NewWindow">We are called to be stewards of this creation and the
gifts with which we have been blessed, and to rely not upon our own
strength to sustain us– but upon Him and upon our fellow brothers and sisters
who He has provided to support us on the
journey.

In my own way, I am like
Frodo on a journey to Mount Doom– yet the outcome will not be bleak, and the
path I follow will not be one I must travel alone. Each decision I make along
the way will further shape me into the man I am becoming, and hopefully that man
is one of whom God will be proud. Because in the end, his opinion is really the
only one that matters.