Purpose Driven Kit for Life
If I only had a purpose…
I’m driven. Ask anyone who knows me I have am italic bent to my life.
But, do I have a purpose? Does God have a purpose for me?
If He does He seems to be a little confused about it. I mean, why does he keep it so secret? Why is it so illusive that over 20 million bought a book to discover it?
If God has a purpose why does He make it so hard to find?
What if He doesn’t have a purpose but, possibilities? What if God’s plan is emerging and liquid not static and set? What if God’s plan is organic and not a Master Plan?
When I was a boy, I started showing an interest in art. My parents often found me with pencil and paper, drawing anything and everything I could bring to mind. The front of the refrigerator door filled quickly with pieces I had completed.
I remember one Christmas, in particular, I had started to show a growing competency in art, my family encouraged me by giving me supplies and instructional books. The more presents I opened, the more excited I became.
My expectations ran high when we arrived at Grandma’s house. In her own way, my grandmother was an artist. Grandma would give me presents selected with the wisdom and insight of a fellow artist!
The first gift came. Brushes. Then the second: a large, rectangular box. I couldn’t suppress my excitement. This would be the gift that would set me on the path of Artist. I unwrapped that present like a starving dog devouring a bowl of food, all the while composing in my mind the wonderful acceptance speech I would give to honor this gift and my hopeful future.
There it was: a paint-by-numbers kit. I was shocked into silence.
Grandma kept looking at me as only grandmothers can, eyes full of love, a voice full of tenderness: “Now you can paint beautiful paintings.”
Beautiful paintings! What did she think of the ones I had already done? Weren’t they beautiful? Weren’t they art? Her gift told me that in her mind I was no artist at all. I was just a little boy trying on a new hobby. Maybe if I could learn to follow somebody else’s plan, I could produce “beautiful paintings.”
It is not true that an artist is someone who manufactures art. An artist is someone who enables art to emerge from a canvas—someone who has the strengths, competencies, and patience to bring that miracle into being.
Art is not formulaic, like a paint-by-numbers kit. It has life. It is viewed and appreciated. It moves and inspires. It invites participation, intermingling its own story with those of its observers.
God invites our artistic participation in life. He does not have a master plan—paint-by-number experience waiting for you to discover. God invites you to paint your life and discover the masterpiece!
Comment by: Glenn
109/19/07 9:45 AM | Comment Link |
Whoa. This concept is certainly different from the all-sovereign God concepts I’ve grown up with. But this prompts me to take a deeper look at the theology of the character of God each concept preaches.
In the All-sovereign, God-has-His-purpose-for-me concept, God is the Playwrite. He has written the script and expects me as an actor to follow what He has written. I’m called to say my lines and to my part exactly according to His designs.
The implications of this concept are not difficult to imagine. Since I all know I’ve screwed things up, it’s hard to imagine God as anything but frustrated with me for ruining His play. If I were Him, I’d be ticked off. In my theology of God’s character, then, I interpret Him deeply in my soul as a God who dislikes me for all the trouble I’ve caused to His hard and fast purpose. That has a powerful but deeply negative, psychological effect on my soul. To believe that the most powerful being in the Universe is displeased with me is enough to lay a foundation for all kinds of emotional disorders.
In the paint-your-life concept, God has entrusted me with dominion over my own life and the world around me. He gives me the responsibility for ruling over the earth (and my own little piece of it). He calls me to be the creative master of my space. (See Genesis 1:28 for an astonishing affirmation of this concept).
In this case, the implications are just as foundational as the other; but in a very different direction. God, having given me freedom to design, now leans forward in eager expectation to see what I will create with the gifts He has given me. Like a father who examines the fresh artwork of his son, God, with joy and approval on His face, points out to me all the beautiful things my life reflects. And while there are certainly elements of my “picture” that show (even) violence to His overall expectations of freedom, justice and mercy, the absence of condemnation for those things and His repeated praise of what is beautiful calls forth my best efforts to produce new “pictures” that evidence growth in my ability to rule my sphere in harmony with His overall expectations. To believe that the most powerful being in the Universe is eager and happy to see the beauty I’ve created in life is to lay a foundation for deep emotional security.
Comment by: Dr. Don
212/27/07 2:58 AM | Comment Link |
What makes you think God has kept His purpose for you a secret just because you’ve not figured it out? That seems naieve and narrow minded. Just because a purpose unfolds does not mean it does not exist. God’s genius is that He unfolds our purpose through our choices. Your God is way too small!
Sin keeps God’s purpose for us a secret. As we conquer each sinful aspect of our lives with God, we are able to view the purpose that was there all the while. Even in the midst of our righteousness (which are filthy rags according to Paul),our humanity restricts us from our best purpose.
Art is a combination of master planning and sponteniety. My photographer daughter can easily tell me in what way my amature photos transgress basic “master plan” concepts of photography. Yet, even if I follow master planning of good photography, I cannot produce award winning photos without the artistic ingredient. It takes both to produce the best.
The Language of Belonging and Organic Community were edited by “master planners” of language. Without their gifts, the books would be novice at best, goblety goop at worst.
We send young artists to school, first to learn the master plans of art. Students then combine master plannning of art with creative genius. They must first learn to “color within the lines,
before they master artistic expression. We do not recognize as genius those who either only paint by the numbers, or those who ignore artistic expression.
Organic Master Planning taps into God’s creative genius at its best.