Self-Realization

John 7:16-17 “Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.”

A common message given to the youth of our society is the message of self-realization.

The message of self-realization is meant to inspire since its founded in the premise that people are to find fulfillment by finding one’s own potential.

What “potential” do you have?

Since I don’t know you, I can’t say what potential you have and even if I did know you I probably couldn’t say since truly knowing someone is left to our ability to perceive a person’s heart.

I believe the potential in any person is found in the position of their strength. If your strength is in yourself, your capacity is limited by the human potential. If your strength lies in Christ, then it is by His power and might by which your ceiling is set….how high can Christ take you?

The faith you place in God’s strength is the limit to your potential in Him.

The Potential of People

The definition of Human potential is the capacity for humans to improve themselves through studying, training, and practice, to reach the utmost of their ability by developing aptitudes and skills. “Inherent within the notion of human potential is the belief that in reaching their full potential an individual will be able to lead a happy and more fulfilled life”

How do people know if they “reach their full potential”?

They world defines success as the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.

How someone decides their purpose, is where they see the foundation of their faith. Everyone has a measure of faith. Whether the faith is placed in themselves, in world philosophy, in a guru, or in some form of deity, the faith exhibited is evidenced in who a person places their trust.

The question we must ask ourselves first is whether the object of our faith is reliable.

If someone encourages you to “follow your heart”, can the emotions and “gut feeling” you have about something or someone be trusted? If you believe that human potential is the ultimate solution, your trusting in your own level of intellect and strength to get you through.

But is it enough?

When or if you reach your goal, will you be happy?

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.”

“It is not length of life, but depth of life.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

If all you live for is making money, gaining power, living comfortably, or attaining fame….your sense of purpose and accomplishment is resting in a hope that one of these will bring true fulfillment. One way to be wise is to first look into the lives of those who have reached these levels of achievement and find out if they really found what the world promised.

According to world philosophy, success hinges on accomplishment. Earning a huge contract in sports, becoming a famous musician or actor are just samples of ways the world thinks people gain notoriety and achieve the ultimate goal of success. The lasting legacy of those who have bought into this philosophy tells another story….

“Money can’t buy life.” — Bob Marley

“Drink to me. Drink to my health, you know I can’t drink anymore.” — Pablo Picasso

“One never knows the ending. One has to die to know exactly what happens after death. Although Catholics have their hopes.” — Alfred Hitchcock

“Applaud, my friends, the comedy is finished.” — Ludwig Van Beethoven

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” — Oscar Wilde

“It’s better to burn out than to fade away.” — Kurt Cobain

“Success is a great deodorant It takes away all your past smells.” — Elizabeth Taylor

These quotes are from people who have reached what many believe to be the pinnacle of human achievement, fame and fortune seem to be the limits of expectation for worldly accomplishment.

God’s View

The Apostle Paul took into consideration those who are wise according to the world, those who think they have achieved great strength and nobility….they have not been called.

To be “called” is different for the Kingdom of God than for the kingdom of this world. According to the world, if you have some skill set the world can draw from, then you are deemed worthy. An incredible musician, a captivating actor, or a genius symphony producer are only ideals having been attained by many by which the world draws, with only their applause and a check left in return.

Live for the worlds applause and this is all you’ll ever receive.

In God’s Kingdom, those who are deemed lowly, foolish, or weak are the ones that He looks to…not because of inadequacy but because these people don’t cherish themselves. The humble and contrite are the ones the Lord lifts up. It is by dying to oneself that life is truly found.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

God’s People

The people of the world have only the world to gain. What once seemed like a grand hope for one who reaches the pinnacle of success, becomes relegated to just another person who lived for themself and died in their memories.

God’s people are not found in themselves but in Christ. The identity of a believer is one that exemplifies the attributes of God, that He might be glorified.

• It is the wisdom of God that makes sense of life.
• It is the righteousness of God imparted that gives life.
• It is the sanctification of God that leads in life.
• It is by the redeeming power of Jesus by which we attain eternal life.

What is the meaning of LIfe?

Jesus.

When a sinner is saved by the grace of God in Christ Jesus, they move from a position of self-realization into an understanding of Christ-like realization.

What was once important, is diminished in the light of God’s glory. Everything pales in comparison to the joy and hope found in Him. All that matters is trusting and obeying. To please the Lord is the highest gain and the hope of eternal life with Him is to finish the race.

Whose applause do you seek?

The applause of Heaven or a dying world?

Keep this in mind when setting your goals.