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 was 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?

I believe the potential in any person can be found in the position of where they place their strength. If your strength is in yourself, your capacity is limited by 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 believers place in God’s strength is only measured by the level of their trust.

Do you trust what God is doing in your life?

The Potential of People

The definition of Human potential is the capacity for humans to improve themselves through study, 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 what they see their faith pursuing.

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 in.

The question a person must ask themselves first is whether the object of their 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.”

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.

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

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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 were the limits of their worldly expectations and now they are left with nothing.

For those who have found life, they recognize that all they value is in their Savior.

Psalm 91:2 “I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

God’s View

The Apostle Paul considered those who are wise according to the world, those who think they have achieved great strength and nobility.

1 Corinthians 3:19-20. “For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 

To be “called” by God is unique to the Kingdom of God, the kingdoms of this world have no knowledge of anything other than what they can see. 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.

Living for the worlds applause is temporary. Think about your family history, can you name the names of your great grandparents? How about your great great grandparents? Most people would struggle with such a task and these were people who would be deemed valuable. What does that say about a world legacy? No matter how much you gain from this world, you will soon be forgotten.

In God’s Kingdom, those who are deemed lowly, foolish, or weak are the ones that God pays attention 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 is where 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, becomes just another person who lived for themself and died with their memories.

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

1 Corinthians 7:22-24 “For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.”

• 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 to life.
• It is by the redeeming power of Jesus by which believers attain to 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.