Escaping the Mediocre Life  

By:  Erick Nelson
Last Updated:  February, 2008
(added Dying to Live)

THE PROBLEM

I find that I live a fairly normal life (if there is such a thing).  Family (wonderful wife and 2 great kids, 10yrs and 4yrs), pets (3 cats and a dog), work (intense IT project management job), kids’ activities, nice home, everyday routine.  We have a few health issues from time to time, but basically ok; no significant financials cares.  I am a Christian, know the Lord and follow him.   

All the potential for a fabulous and fulfilling life is there, and I do enjoy what I have – but I find myself constantly tired, run down, have headaches, and feel stressed and frustrated.  At work, I hang in there until I can go home; at home, I hang in there and pray for the time to pass quickly and the kids are settled so I can just sit quietly, watch a half-hour of TV, and crawl in bed exhausted and defeated. 

I joke that my life is so full that I just can’t handle it all!  And that’s somewhat true – but there’s more.  I’m sure that if I ate better, exercised, and all that, I would feel better and have more energy.  But that’s not exactly it.  

I also have noticed that at certain times, when I’m doing something that is exciting and energizing, (more about that later) fatigue is no longer an issue.  So I don’t think it’s really the case that I don’t have the energy in me; it’s that it gets boxed in or something, and I can’t get to it. 

The Mediocre Life 

Someone on the outside might make the inference from this that I just don’t belong in the “normal” life, and I’m sure lots of guys have experienced this as a mid-life crisis, and gone out and done wacky things in order to recover their vibrancy.  But that’s not it, either. 

I think that my problem, or frustration, is that I am simply living a Mediocre Life.  However, I have looked back on times in my life when I did have energy, felt great, and found great joy and fulfillment.  I played music and worked on studies (philosophy and apologetics), and saw the Lord use me in many ways.  It was an automatic assumption that if I could just get back to doing these things, the malaise would end and I would be back in business.   

I got the chance to do a few things here and there, but nothing really opened up for a major shift back to “ministry.”  I even put out feelers when trying to decide between continuing my present career (which involved a family move to a new location) and pursuing something new.  But nothing.  The Lord absolutely didn’t open the doors for this; in fact, I think he shut doors that would have normally been there because of my background, skills, and connections.   

In Search of … Anointing  

It would be easy to assume that I’m just longing to recapture my glory days, and I should grow up and accept my “adult life” – but that’s not exactly it.  I do admit that I’d like to do something of value, something that matters.  And there is some ego gratification in the music and studies.  But I realize that this is not why I did those things, not what I got out of them.   

When I look back over those times, the thing that stands out is the memory of a feeling – the feeling of “anointing.”  When I played music, for instance, I didn’t really like being in front of people, although I loved actually playing.  And even though I cared about the people to some extent, I was not driven by that passion.  I find, when looking honesty at myself, that it wasn’t primarily for the people.  When all is said and done, what got me out of bed in the morning was the incredible experience of Abundant Life, the anointing, that I found. 

Now what do I mean by all that?  There are at least five different situations/ scenarios where I might be, or might not be, anointed: 

  1. Anointed and Felt.  I can actually experience a tangible feeling, which I think of as “anointing” because of the feeling itself and the results (what is happening outside of me).
  2. Anointed and Not Felt.  I am doing something that may have benefit, but I don’t feel anything in particular, or at least what I feel is subtle – I may be anointed, but am not completely aware of it.
  3. Not Anointed, but Felt.  I am doing something that gives me excitement (for instance music), and due to this (alone) I have a tangible feeling – but it’s just excitement, not anointing.
  4. Not Anointed, and Not Felt.  I don’t feel any anointing, and am simply acting totally out of my natural instincts and abilities.
  5. Total Failure.  I am consciously doing something wrong (sinning).

Here, I want to zero in on 1 vs. 4.  (There are two intermediary states, which I acknowledge, but they aren’t my primary concern, and the “blatant sinning” issue, which is also not my issue here.) 

Examples of Anointing

Some examples of this in my own life are: 

Not Anointed 

I can think of at least two musical times when I was tangibly not anointed.  One was in North Carolina, when the sponsors wanted me to sing a couple of “secular” songs at a school.  I felt like the Lord abandoned me!  Like I was hanging out there all by myself – it was dark and empty and hollow and scary!  Similarly, when Good News auditioned for an agent that books bands in clubs – it was dry and no fun.  After he left (in disgust, as it turns out), we had a rehearsal of our own songs, and it was great – the Lord came back to us.  At least, that’s how it felt. 

One time our group Selah was playing for some retreat or something, and John Belles’ then girl-friend, out of the blue, came up to me and said something like, “I look at you and I see so much potential, so many ways God can use you; but then you ruin it by vain-babbling.”  I was cut to the quick.  I eventually decided that she was being a little hyper-spiritual, and that humor is important, etc. etc.  But now, looking back, I think she was right.  My knee-jerk tendency to go for the joke, try to be clever, may be harmless and normal, but it often goes against the grain of what the Lord wants me to be. 

One more example of that is when I did a TV interview and then watched the videotape.  For context, realize that one of the things we hippie musicians did was to try to distance ourselves from the religious establishment.  And so I too went out of my way to be “normal”, to rephrase in normal vernacular, not to be all “pious platitudes and stained-glass attitudes”.  Which is fine, I suppose.  But I remember there were several things I had said that I thought were supremely clever at the time, and I couldn’t wait to see how well I presented myself.  I was shocked.  The things I thought were cute and witty came across as being a little goofy, and without power of any kind – and just kind of embarrassing.

 However, there were some things I said sincerely, from the heart, and my whole countenance changed.  My face actually looked different.  They were things I said almost off-hand, in answer to questions, and they were just gripping.  I thought to myself, now that’s that kind of guy I want to be! 

My “witty” persona has been challenged.  Taking Greek one year, I knew that the teacher (a young guy, too) didn’t like this at all, and thought I was a goof-ball.  It was very uncomfortable sometimes.  Not too long ago, I got a performance review at work where my boss said I was “glib” (and not in a good way).  The following year, my new boss thought I was too “informal” in my presentations.  And the next year, another new boss said I sometimes used humor inappropriately.  Now that’s a wake-up call!  I would stress that I’m not (at least I don’t think I am) that bad; I don’t think I’m a complete maniac, it’s just my tendency to want to be clever and witty.  It’s the Lord’s way of getting my attention. 

It’s not only that, it’s also my (again) knee-jerk habit of talking too much, usually about myself.  One of the things I admire about Susan, my wife, is that she asks questions, draws people out, and is just the opposite of my tendency.  I see how much better that is.

SO … I try to do it the right way:  ask questions, avoid rambling on about myself and telling stories, etc.  And I try not to be too cute.  And you know what?  I can’t NOT do that stuff!  Occasionally, I can restrain myself, but so many times, I leave a conversation just kicking myself – failed again! 
 

THE NATURAL MAN vs. THE NEW MAN 

The New Testament offers several metaphors to express the “new life in Christ.”  The one that strikes me right now is the “old man” vs. the “new man” – the “natural man” vs. the “spiritual man.”  In general, the Natural Man is what I am in myself, by nature and nurture.  The New Man is what is “born again”, the new self centered in Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. 

Now, this distinction is probably not isomorphic with “anointed” vs. “not anointed”, especially when we are focusing on the tangible, experiential elements of anointing, but there is obviously some connection.  I’m not going to attempt an analysis of these biblical concepts here (although maybe I should), but just work with the general assumption that the Natural man is not anointed and the New man is. 

The Natural Man

 The Natural Man is the source out of which I habitually operated before coming to know the Lord.  I was born disconnected with God, and (to make a long story short) this really did leave a God-shaped hole in my heart.  I try for fulfillment in various ways, and as long as I am not connected I don’t have the power and love and wisdom to pull it off.  Even the drive (instilled by God) to pursue an “abundant life” is twisted to some degree by my handicap.   

When I operate out of the Natural Man, I can wind up pursuing blatant sin.  But that’s not my point here.  My point is something scarier.  Even all the good things I do, if done out of the Natural Man source, will be missing something, will be a corrupted version of the “real thing.” 

For instance - Music, motivated by the Natural Man, will be ultimately centered in self – despite doing all the selfless things that would go with a genuine work of God.  It would have a tint of self-glory, mixed with the self-righteous satisfaction of “ministering” to people, and privately gloating over the fact that we are not glorifying ourselves like the secular artists do!  Or, concern for reaching the lost can slip into reaching “as many as possible” of the lost, which can slip into maximizing units sold.  Or it can take many, many other forms.  Any other good work can be tainted in this way as well. 

What I find is that operating out of the “natural man”, even when not resulting in blatant sin, even when many of the pitfalls are avoided, still leads at best to a Mediocre Life!  We miss out on an Abundant life, a thrilling and fulfilling life; and this is replaced by mediocrity as it lives in the core of our being.  Doing what comes naturally, operating only out of my own talents and perspective and motivation, leads me to a hum-drum life with no excellence to show for it.  Is this why we are here?  Is this all there is? 

But the New Man is alive in me.  I’ll talk more about this below, but the work done out of this source is alive and anointed.  And every person wrestles with these two personas, these two sources. 

I think of Lonnie Frisbee as a great personal example of this dichotomy.  In a recent  video documentary about him, I remember one of the people saying that Lonnie, in his natural self, was kind of a goofy guy, not a big deal.  But when the Spirit took hold of him, he was almost like a different person.  He would walk up to people and they’d be praying to receive the Lord within minutes.  He could touch someone and they’d fall over from the spiritual power – sometimes he’d even just wave his arm toward a crowd and they’d fall down in waves.  People would be healed of all kinds of diseases.  The question of the documentary, of course, was why he couldn’t translate that kind of anointing into his daily, personal life – into his every day decisions, life-style, all that.  Why two Lonnies?   

Ministry as the Answer? 

Again, when dealing with the Natural Man, the discussion usually revolves around blatant sin.  For me, my problem here is not as obvious as trying to stop drinking, or being unfaithful, or anything like that.  I would say, by any normal standard, I live an upright and good life.  I do the things I know I should do, and avoid the things I’m supposed to avoid.  I’m not perfect in this, but my point here is that avoiding blatant sin is not sufficient to provide a fulfilling life, or one that is pleasing to God.  My problem is that even being “good”, while operating out of the Natural Man source, leads only to the Mediocre Life. 

And so I look back on some phenomenal times in my life, when I was truly operating out of the New Man, when my life – at least at times – was anointed.  And it seems to follow that I should turn away from the “secular” life and pursue “ministry.”  Maybe that’s what’s gone wrong. 

But, as I mentioned earlier, the Lord has simply shut the doors, closed off those avenues, sometimes in fairly dramatic and surprising ways.  (However, he hasn’t slammed them completely shut – he presents me with occasional opportunities.  One time, I was asked to play at the Anaheim Pond for the Jesus People Reunion, played for literally 10 minutes, then flew home and that was that.  I complained to the Lord, “Why do you tease me like this, when nothing has come of it?”  His answer was, “This wasn’t about you, it was about me.”) 

One time, I was praying about apologetics, and the Lord actually told me something like, “You can make a trip out of anything.”  The emphasis was “you”, meaning I had this talent for taking anything good and making it into a project, into a “trip.”  My friend, Fred Denman, when I told him about this, said with incredulity, “The Lord said ‘TRIP’?  He actually used the word ‘trip’?   

If I were to make apologetics, or philosophy, or music, or any ministry pursuit, I could easily just transform something good and valuable and beautiful into a “trip.”  “MY” apologetic approach, etc. …  when it all began because I loved God and wanted to know more about him and think like him. 

A long time ago, I started to wonder, “Now, why does this anointing have to happen only at special times, when ‘ministering’ in music or studies?”  Why can’t my whole life be anointed?  That’s something that occurred to me in a vivid way after playing with Andrae’.  This was the first time, I think, that I didn’t have the chance to pray before playing – they just dropped me off from their tour bus at the loading ramp, and I’d walk right in and play.  No time to pray for this particular thing. I thought, Why don’t I pray for the Lord to anoint my LIFE, and then these moments would be anointed as well? 

So, getting out of my job and starting a new career would not be the answer!  Certainly, I can read and learn and study and write, but that will not – in itself – solve my problem.  It won’t bring the anointing I need, especially if I pursue this via the “natural man.” 

So I clearly see that going back to “ministry” activities – if done out of the Natural Man – will not bring fulfillment.  And, at the same time, it seems logical that conducting a “regular” life – if done out of the New Man – CAN be fully be anointed and filled with God’s joy and power!  So, I think the solution is not that I need to do new “ministry” things, but that I need to find that same anointing IN MY LIFE as a whole, within the things God has truly called me to do!    

God’s Arrow

Here’s what I think.  If God truly calls me to do something, and I do it for him, out of the “new man” source, I will be like an arrow that God shoots towards the target.  This arrow will fly true, swift, and straight, and hit the bulls-eye with incredible force.  This is how an arrow is supposed to work, and I am supposed to be God’s arrow. 

On the other hand, if I am an arrow and choose my own target (even a worthy target), I may have to get up and try to hurl myself towards the bulls-eye.  The best I can do – without the Lord notching me in his bow, drawing back the string, and letting fly – is to run over really close to the bulls-eye and make a jump at it.  No wonder I don’t hit the target, and if by some odd chance I do, my impact is negligible and I certainly don’t stick! 

Mastery 

There is an old story about the Master violinist picking up the old, neglected violin – and making incredible music with it.  Just like the Master (God) can take us and make incredible things.  Yes, that’s what I’m looking for. 

There is a song by Crystal Lewis and Kirk Franklin called “Lean on Me.”  This is truly an incredible song.  One facet of this quality is the fact that Crystal simply owns the song.  Pitch is always perfect, the pretty parts are pretty, the bold parts are bold, she brings in incredible licks but doesn’t mess up the melody with them.  She projects the emotion of the song.  In every way, she exhibits Mastery with her voice. 

Now I ask myself, if she can show such mastery in singing this song, why can’t I exhibit similar mastery in living my life?  How can we find true Mastery of our life? 

Another illustration:  Socrates used to go around and ask, “Who is the one who trains horses?  The horse trainer.  Who helps people learn to play a musical instrument?  The musician.  If this is so, then who is the one who helps people live the virtuous life, the good life?  Who teaches human flourishing?”  He wants to say that learning Mastery of one’s Life is the purpose to which we are all called. 

As it turns out, almost 500 years later, the person Socrates was looking for actually came to exist on earth – Jesus of Nazareth.  He claimed that he was truly the Master of his life, and he called everyone to come and follow him!  He promised that the Paraclete – the Comforter, the one who assists and teaches us – would come and fill us with God’s Life. 

The Vision and the Paradigm Shift 

So now, I’m thinking of something that I can’t describe very well. I have a feeling, a sense, a sort of vision, of the kind of person we all could be.  As I’m thinking about applying this to myself, I’ll put this in the first person. 

I know, or believe, that the Lord really has something in mind for me – what kind of person he has set out for me to be.  I also believe that this is exactly the person I would want to become, if I saw it clearly.  So I’m thinking, how do I become that person I’ve always wanted (at some level, maybe unconsciously) to be?  Maybe I couldn’t describe it exactly right now, but I’m sure I’d know it when I saw it. 

I would be in touch with the Spirit, with the presence of God – seeing things from his perspective, attentive to his voice – even the glance of his eye!  I would do everything with a renewed attitude.  I would “seize the day” – in the sense that I would seize every moment.  I would engage with people, not dis-engage.  I would look for opportunities to ask them questions, to be like Socrates!  To talk about the things that matter, to redeem the time. 

I wouldn’t just follow my knee-jerk reactions, but be led by the God who knows the future.  People would, possibly, actually come up to me and ask my why I was so different, so free.   

I would emotionally embrace the trivial jobs of the day, like taking out the trash, making macaroni and cheese for the kids, rather than pray for them to get settled so I can sit down and watch a half-hour of TV before I slump, fatigued, into bed. 

But more than that.  I think that the “new man” can be something really out of the ordinary, and that we don’t explore that, we don’t go there.  I think of The Mandala, who represented a “paradigm shift” in rock and R&B msic – they were like men among boys.  I think of my cousin Stan – when we were kids we told him that there was a near-vertical branch of our avocado tree that was really hard to climb; he found a rope and walked up that branch!  Paradigm shift.  I think of Harold Brinkley, who could get somebody to talk to him, at very deep levels, about the Lord.  And Susan, the same thing.  I have many examples in my head that might not impress anyone else, but I know what I’m envisioning.  I think that I, too, should be a paradigm shift in the general course of life. 

Imagine two people, say Bob and Steve.  Bob is the everyday, natural, mediocre person.  Steve is the “new man” guy.   

I can imagine Bob getting up, getting ready for work, driving to work, doing his job, yakking with co-workers about trivial things and the events of the day, then driving home, etc.  He could truthfully say that he did good work that day, wasn’t obviously displeasing to the Lord, and would wonder if there’s anything there to criticize. 

But maybe he’s not even in the ball-park.  Let’s say Steve that day got up, prayed fervently for his family in the morning, as he got dressed he felt impelled by the Lord to get breakfast on the way to work.  At the restaurant, he spotted a homeless guy out front, talked with him and gave him some money for food, prayed with him and took him to a shelter.  Still hungry, he goes back to the restaurant.  He truly engages with the waitress and she opens up to him about something needing prayer.  Steve promises to pray for her and to follow up to see how she’s doing.  Meanwhile the couple in the next booth takes exception to this religious talk.  The Lord tells Steve things about their personal life that open the door to an appropriate but life-changing conversation with them!   

Arriving at work, Steve is trying to bring a project into line which is facing collapse and failure, losing millions of dollars for the company.  Steve quietly prays for guidance as he reads his email.  It occurs to him that the only person who can really do something about this situation is a major executive, and he feels led to give that person a phone call.  Against all odds, the exec is right at her phone and Steve’s analysis of the situation rings true, and hits home – like an arrow hitting its target – with power.  This changes everything. 

Steve goes to a dinner party that night.  He is quiet and attentive.  Not especially good looking or anything else you could put your finger on, but he stands out in that crowd.  He has the bearing - the smile, the dignity, the joy, the intelligence, the look of competence – that executives, beauty contestants and politicians have painstakingly learned to simulate.  But he has this from the inside out, and it’s genuine. 

The next day, Steve does nothing special.  He stays home with the kids, plays with them, and genuinely appreciates their little smiles and the silly things that amuse them.  He goes outside with the trash, looks up at the clouds and sincerely marvels at the sky.  He thinks about how lucky he is to have so much food that he has to dispose of the left-overs.  He is truly grateful that he can breathe without pain, that he can think, that he can walk.  His heart is full as he heads back indoors. 

And it goes on.  These are just things that occur to me, maybe based on the things that I sense are missing in my life, and within the limits of my current imagination.  Indeed, the situation could be much more miraculously-charged than this (e.g. Lonnie Frisbee) - but this gets across the point about how the “normal”, natural-man, life completely misses the boat.  He’s not even close!   

DIE TO LIVE

When I was a freshman in college, I became a Christian partly because I passionately wanted my life to count for something.  To me, that meant accomplishing great things.   There are a lot of different senses and nuances of "pride", but the essential characteristic I want to describe is the drive to make a mark in the world, goal-oriented, product-driven, with the deep need to be acknowledged for whatever greatness can be achieved.  If you can't really find splashy success, you can content yourself with lesser achievements - but it's still the same.

Pride-Motivated

That is my natural state.  But here's what happens.  When I try especially hard to succeed at my plans, I bear down, and my ego, my self-esteem, is on the line.  My effort brings pressure and anxiety (I know I might fail), irritability, and I'm always in a hurry to knock down the next task.  If I succeed, I grow conceited, and eventually arrogant:  how wonderful I am!  If I fail, I grow frustrated, and eventually bitter:  how unfair of the world to thwart my plans!  And, strangely, when I finally do get accolades and am acknowledged even beyond my dreams, it lasts but a moment, and somehow I swear there is an unsatisfying emptiness to it.  It never really fulfills the deeper needs.

In this project of self-fulfillment, I give out a great deal, as I attempt to achieve one things after another.  I also take as much as I can get, to fulfill my plans and to find satisfaction.  No matter what I do, whether I really do achieve worthwhile things, even in God's service - if I speak with tongues of angels and give up my body to be burned - I am going exactly the wrong way.  I am failing at Life.  As long as I am motivated by Pride, I will never be happy.

Here's one other wrinkle that I've noticed.  As I am project-oriented, task-oriented, my focus is to get the current task wrapped up and in the Done column; whether big or small, I'm trying to get things behind me.  I'm trying to get things over with.  You know what this produces when it becomes systematic?  I find myself in danger of trying to get my life over with.  What has happened?

Love-Motivated

Jesus wants us to die to this, the most natural of attitudes and orientations.  He wants us to give up.  To stop in our tracks.  But what instead?  He wants us to be motivated by Love.  That sounds trite, but there is powerful meaning behind it.  When I do my work, my motivation is not to "get ahead", prove myself, show what I can do, or to succeed.  I have a wife and two children, whom I love with all my heart.  I know that I don't go to work to make money for myself, because I am content with a fairly minimal income.  I do it so that these loved ones, who count on me, can have a nice life.  It is now a labor of love.  This doesn't mean I do a sloppy job or don't care about quality or achievement.  But it takes my ego out of it, and I am thankful for the opportunity to be productive in this way.  And the payoff is to enjoy my family, and the people I work with.

This is just one example - this affects all of life.  My studies, where acknowledgement is unfortunately always in the back of my mind, are subject to this rule.  Am I doing this out of the love of Truth, of the thrill of thinking God's thoughts after Him?  When nobody wants to read what I've written, or the promised publication of an article goes south, do I get frustrated and upset?  Whatever I do, I must do it out of genuine love or emptiness and bitterness are the result.

As with Pride, I both give and take.  But the giving and taking are so different!  The giving produces true joy, and now I find I can receive everyday gifts of love and sharing, which build me up.

Now this might not be all that Jesus means by "dying to self" so that we might "live", but for me, at this point in my life, I see I must turn away from Pride and seek to live motivated by Love.  I don't want to be Somebody.  I want to be happy.

Kiss the Ground

Last week, I had bronchitis and pneumonia, so sick that I couldn't even function.  I had horrendous dreams that scared me so badly I wouldn't go to sleep at night.  I thought to myself, if I could just have the strength to do simple chores like wash the dishes and take out the trash, I'd be so glad!  Then I thought to myself, many people don't have the ability to do even simple things, and how I should just get down and kiss the ground every day because I can. 

It's probably asking too much to imagine that I've completely learned this lesson, and that from now on everything will be different.  But this is an anchor that I'll remember and return to many, many times.

PRACTICAL PREPARATION 

So now the question is, practically speaking, HOW do I operate out of the “new man” source, and “let the old man die”?  I don’t really know, but before asking other people for advice, I thought it was be good to put down my own thoughts as a starting place.  I think there are two types of things:  Preparation and Execution. 

The first thing that occurs to me is that somebody is sure to ask me, “Are you doing what you already know to do in this regard?”  What do I already know to do?  Well, there are several things that can prepare me for “new man” living.   

Vision 

First, I should try to flesh out the “vision”, the “new paradigm” – by imagination, observation, reading, asking questions, meditation, etc.   Proactively seek out people who seem to embody that vision (they may not be easy to find!).  The goal is to open my mind to the possibilities! – the danger of course is imitating people externally (operating out of the natural man).  The ultimate example, of course, is Jesus.  One of the effects of rubbing shoulders with him, as it were, is becoming more like him.  Keep your eyes on the prize! 

Physical Nurturing

 Eating better, getting enough rest, and good exercise all help us build up our bodies, which are the platform for our activity.  Obviously, this is helpful – although not sufficient in itself.  And it would be silly to fall down on something so easy and obvious. 

Scripture and Study 

Daily Bible reading helps us stay in touch with God’s revelation of himself, and clarifies who the Father is, who Jesus is, who the Spirit is, and how they work in our lives and in the world.  The Bible can be read in many ways: devotionally, critically/analytically, long stretches of quick reading for context and general sense – lots of things.  Studying other works should be done as the Lord leads:  sometimes deeply and intensely, sometimes lay off it, etc.  I could never read the Old Testament until I got Eugene Petersen’s “The Message” – now it makes sense.  First century background is essential to understanding the meaning of the parables to the first hearers (which is not trivial).

Prayer and Meditation  

The direct way of knowing God is spending time with him.  Solitude and quiet settles the mind; listening for his voice; meditating on certain ideas or themes.  This helps us to know him, and can’t be replaced by any other discipline.  It also prepares us for “quick listening” to his voice in the flow of active life, in the moment.  Meditate on the sheer size of the universe! … and the complexity of living organisms, and the fact that Jesus is the Logos (the Logic, discursive reason) of God. 

As we pray, we dialogue with him.  ACTS – adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication is a good formula.  But of course, it is the give-and-take, in honest dialogue with the Lord, that counts the most.  Even getting mad at him and listening for his response is fair game. 

Fellowship 

Find a church and go to church.  Don’t just sit and watch it like a TV show.  Enter in.   Participate also in core groups, study groups, or other activities, as appropriate.  Pray with people.  Develop fellowship relationships with people you meet, with friends, with others (see “execution” below). 

Summary 

All of this is quite obvious – anyone with half a brain could come up with this.  But these things are notoriously easy to overlook in our busy world, especially when looking for exciting and heroic answers (remember Nathan the leper, who was insulted that all he had to do was wash in the Jordan 7 times).  On the other hand, since these are disciplines, there is a danger - they can become very legalistic and slide into the “natural man” self-righteousness zone!   

PRACTICAL EXECUTION 

The second part is Execution:  putting into practice, moment-by-moment, the life-style of “new man” living.  If I understood this very well, I wouldn’t be writing this document.  I do notice a nice pun, that Execution means to carry out an action (which is the present meaning), but also to kill someone (die to self, the Natural Man).   

Here are my starter thoughts, and I am most eager for correction and refinement. 

I Must Tell Jesus 

There is an old hymn that I heard yesterday by Crystal Lewis – I Must Tell Jesus.  Everything starts here.  We must start by laying it all out for him, telling him our troubles, our sorrows, our frustrations – also our joys, hopes, and vision.   Ask him to fill you with his Spirit, and promise to stay close to him, asking for help even with that!  Know that this is his will, and that if you yield to him, he will notch you as his arrow.  It all has to be his idea, and we have to buy into that idea once we can see it. 

Practice the Presence of God 

As Brother Lawrence, refer everything to the Lord throughout the day as best you can.  There are many ways to do this, but technique probably doesn’t matter.  Deep, daily prayer sets the stage, but we must somehow continue this throughout the day.  Dialogue, or even monologue!, is a good start. 

Bug the Tar out of Him 

Jesus’ parable about the widow hounding the judge – getting him out of bed at night just through her irritating persistence – ends with, “How much more will the Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”  The Holy Spirit is exactly what I need.  I should proactively, aggressively, and even doggedly pursue this gift of Life! 

Be Willing to Be Interrupt-Driven 

We must be willing to be “nimble” and be able to “turn on a dime” (as they say in the business world).  This means we must be willing to interrupt our plans, with no advance notice, and do something else.  This horribly inconvenient, and I’m sure it takes some getting used to. 

Harold Brinkley once told a story about playing golf at a really nice country club.  He’s black, and in those days especially it was unusual for a black man to be doing that.  Somewhere in the middle of the course, he distinctly felt the Lord telling him to stop playing – right now! – and attend to Him.  It was wrenching (and, indeed, embarrassing) to just change his plans like that, but he did it, and this proved to be a fruitful time for him.   

Lonnie Frisbee one time was driving somewhere, and was looking around like he was watching for something.  He then suddenly pulled over, impelled by the Spirit, and started talking to some guy who was walking around the corner.  It was said that this often happened.  Whatever he was planning was often interrupted with new opportunities. 

This would drive me nuts!  I have my own plans, my own ways of doing things, and it is indeed a wrenching experience to just stop in the middle simply because I have a gut-feeling that I should.  But I don’t know the future, and need to be open to these opportunities, to truly “seize the day.” 

Word of caution.  This doesn’t mean that God prefers a random impulse-driven life, which can be a form of worshipping my immediate feelings!  I need to be able to distinguish between the Lord’s prompting and whims that just come upon me – not always easy to do.  The balance is like with ministers’ sermons:  have something prepared (hopefully, with the Lord’s leading), and if the Lord inspires you in another direction, then that’s fine.  If not, you’ve got something to offer. 

I Am the Vine 

“I am the Vine, you are the branches.”  Here the metaphor changes, and I see that my true Life, that is, the life of my New Man, comes from the Vine (Jesus).  If I abide in him, the life-sap will flow into me and I will be fed.  There is also the metaphor of pruning – even chastising – also.  The first commandment is Love God (with all you heart, mind, soul, and strength). 

Engage! 

The Mediocre Life is a vicious circle.  It drains your energy, and then when you have the chance to really do something, you don’t have the energy to do it.  You just take the easy way out and disengage.  I know what that feels like, to avoid people when I think they will start long conversations; to always be looking for chances to rest, etc.   

But standing on the sidelines just makes things worse!  I must take every opportunity “seize the moment” and engage with my fellow humans!  St. Francis said “Make me a channel of your peace”, and that’s what we are to be, channels of God’s healing and comfort, challenge and joy. 

Ask Questions – and Go Deep 

An old saying is that the question mark is shaped like a fishing hook – the best thing for catching someone’s attention.  I’ve seen my wife use this with serious skill; she has a disarming way of making you feel safe (and you are safe), and people just climb all over themselves to open up to her.  All she has to do is ask a simple question – in her particular way!  And then … she asks follow-up questions, which is the real key – it shows she’s interested.

 Redeem the Time – Seize the Moment.  The thing I admired about Socrates, which in fact ruled his life, is he went right from introductory chit-chat into the deepest questions of life:  What is happiness?  What is the “good life”?  What is virtue and justice?  All of that.  One thing I’ve heard is that a surprising percentage of people have had some kind of supernatural encounter – but most don’t talk about it.  There is great opportunity, if not for philosophical analysis (which is fine, too), at least for going into the deeper into people’s thoughts and experiences regarding ultimate things. 

Get Out of Step 

(I got this “get out of step” idea from a book called “Looking Out for Number One”, which surprisingly had a lot of good points, I thought).  First, Don’t do what comes naturally.  Go out and look for opportunities for healing and to bring about what’s good and true.  Only do what the Lord leads you to do (don’t just go out there on your own), but be willing to step out and think outside the box.  And don’t worry about what people think, and don’t follow the crowd, because the way to mediocrity is incredibly broad and well-traveled! 

Even go ahead and start projects if necessary, especially if the effort requires lots of people, but be careful!  This is the first step to becoming a “trip.”  And don’t wait to get support from other people.  Be like St. Francis who went out by himself and starting “building the church” by piling rocks on top of each other.  For some reason, whatever he did, there were always some people who were inspired to join him.  But he was willing to go alone, and that’s part of what was so inspiring. 

Do the Small Things 

I don’t even know exactly what this means, and I hope to learn more about this and get specific, but I do know that Jesus said we should be faithful in the small things if we want to do bigger things. 

Embrace Your Work 

Whatever you do, do it for the Lord.  What does this mean exactly?  One thing – unless I know that my work is out of the Lord’s will, and if I have asked him to direct me, I should assume that my work, today, is set out for me by the Lord.  So first, I have nothing to fear from my bosses, because they have no true power over me.  Second, I should work both with diligence and with joy.  Many of us would like to think we’d gladly do great, heroic things for Jesus, if he called on us.  Wouldn’t we be relieved, knowing that martyrdom and torture are things he could ask of us, that all we have to do is our routine, mundane job?

 Also, the work itself is important, but it’s not the only thing.  We interact with the people around us, and our ministry, or service, is to them. 

Harder may be the work of changing diapers, catering to the kids, taking out the trash, cleaning cat boxes (yuck), running endless errands, doctor appointments, all that mundane stuff.  How do we transform this?  Partly, though practice of the presence of God (above), but also by embracing it.  If we do it grudgingly, it will just wear us out.  I do a lot of this stuff as chores, just trying to get it all done and out of the way.  But maybe there’s a way to celebrate this, to cherish it.   

Be Intentionally Grateful

I don’t know exactly how to go about that, and it doesn’t do much good to say “well, just be grateful.”  One obvious approach is to “count your blessings.”  Actually, maybe that’s a good idea!  One trick would be to meditate on blessings we have that we might not have been given.  For instance, I am imagine how distraught I would be if my kids were seriously injured, missing, or dead; and how thrilled and joyful I’d be then just to be able to do these little chores for them, and how relieved I’d be to have them safe and sound. 

Or maybe other things, not quite as morbid!  Think back on a time when you were out of work, out of money, sick and unable to get out of bed – whatever.  Count every mundane positive as a divine blessing.   

Second-Guess Your Habits 

Many or most of our habits (at least mine) were formed within the Natural Man paradigm.  Second-guess them!  Don’t say the first thing that comes to mind, but reflect on what the Lord thinks about this, and what you’re response ought to be.  Think out of the box!  Don’t do what comes naturally! 

Find Other Seekers 

The person who wants to live out of the New Man can be thought of as a “seeker” – a seeker for life, for more of Jesus, for an escape from the Mediocre Life.  Be on the lookout, maybe even actively pursue, such people!   Find ways to connect with them, for mutual encouragement. 

Active or Passive? 

I am currently a little stuck on this issue.  On the one hand, I am thinking that I try to do things myself too much – I need to sit back and “Let God”, go with the Flow, just rest in Him.  On the other hand, I am thinking that I already have all that is necessary, and that I am too interrupt-driven in the worldly sense:  I need to seize the day, take control of my life!   

They are both true, of course.  I need to be active “in Him.”  He has given me a leadership position and task in the world in many ways:  dominion over the natural world, leadership at work, family leadership – and I need to