For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:20 NIV)
Perhapse the number one downfall of mankind is Autonomy. This is why So many fight Christianity so hard; their desire for autonomy. I have a friend who recently came to know Jesus. He was one of these people. His history with people and his job made him deeply distrusting of anyone. This made his greatest admission concerning people, "I don't like them.". As an interrogator, his everyday encounter with people was constant evidence of the brokenness of humanity. Daily he saw the insecurities of people that bred dishonesty. So people were unsafe and something to avoid and guard against. This created a very small world where the leading value was autonomy.
Interesting that what began to unravel his whole world was when he came with his wife to our growth group. What he encountered there were authentic people on a real journey to know God through Jesus and love each other along the way. 5 months later my friend gave his life to Jesus and believe it or not, has begun to love people and even like a few.
The first place we see a need for autonomy is in Genesis with the fall of mankind from the grace and favor of God. It was Eves and Adam's dissatisfaction with perfect relationship with the creator and each other that created the rift. That was the root of what is now broken in all the world. When relationship becomes, not enough, we find ourselves broken. When relationships become not enough the core of our created identity becomes broken. The new need is to fill the need for identity; to replace what God intended to be how we understand ourselves, understand Him, understand others that gives complete meaning to life. Outside of relationships as core identity, only one option remains, autonomy; the search for meaning in ourselves.
That search can be best understood as a search of pride. The need to explain ourselves outside of God and others becomes a search for something then only we could create for ourselves. For many that is identity found in their own intelligence. The quest for knowledge becomes their ultimate pursuit. This quest is driven by a need to understand life outside of God. These people then become antagonist to the faith. Their block is a pride at the most fundamental core of their own being. But intelligence isn't in competition with Faith. That is why the more we discover seems if anything to create even greater argument for a creator. The problem isn't intelligence. The problem is pride that needs intelligence to replace relationship.
Adam and Eve's pride, a need for equality with God, created a dissatisfaction with perfect relationship with God. Is that not the core condition of sin in our lives as well. Is it not our need for control, to be the writers of our own futures rather then allow God authorship of our lives in perfect relationship that has us straining for autonomy when the prescription for our emptiness is relationship.
No wonder Faith is the only prescription for the brokenness of humanity. Faith is the antibody to autonomy. Here is why. Faith is an abandonment of the need to create life for yourself. Faith gives the power to someone else to create life. Where you put your faith is who you give that power to. Gods perfect redemptive plan was a restoration of faith in a relationship with Him through his son Jesus that restores cosmic identity in our souls that rebirths life there. A restored identity in the creator and his eternal Love.
I challenge you to look at where you have placed your faith. Where you have placed your faith is where you have placed your dependency. For some it is their Job. They have put their faith in a job to supply their needs and give meaning. So their life's pursuit is to maintain that job. Life becomes completely unstable then one that person even entertains for a second the thought of losing that job. For others it is their kids. The thought if only for a second of losing relationship with a kid rocks their entire world. For others it is their own intelligence, personality, or abilities. The thought of those of those being taken away destroys meaning.
Interesting that every place but one can be taken from us and leave our worlds completely collapsed. That one is God and relationship with Him. It is also the one thing we don't have to worry about abandoning us. That makes it the one thing we don't have to compromise ourselves in order to protect. It is the unconditional Love of God demonstrated through his son Jesus.
Where does Pride live in me. It is that place that the original sin breeds and resists the unconditional love and acceptance of Jesus. It is the place where autonomy threatens life.
So how do yo find our way back?
First is to recognize and confess that pride that is breeding autonomy in us. It is an authentic conversation with God in praying the psalmist prayer, Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23, 24 NIV)
Second, it is repentance that asks God to replace that area of our life with his presence.
Third it is ongoing awareness to look for those moments though out each day where we are acting out of that autonomy and not out of relationship and quickly altering our behavior to match the new truth.
Fourth is accountability. The reality is that we are blind to ourselves and need other eyes. Only in holy community does autonomy begin to fade from our identity as we live in and out of relationships reflective of the heart of God.
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