While looking for the latest weather updates yesterday I ran across Oprah and heard an unfamiliar man saying familiar things. He asked, "Who are you? - not who has your society, your culture, your religion, your family told you to be, but who are you? I want to live an authentic life and "authentic" means I'm the author of my life." The man speaking was film writer/producer/director Tom Shadyac, director of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Bruce Almighty, and The Nutty Professor among other comedy hits. Shadyac, who gave away millions to charity and downsized from a 17,000 square foot Hollywood mansion to a mobile home, believes our materialistic culture teaches us to stop thinking for ourselves. He documented his transformational journey and asks some pointed questions in a documentary film called "I Am" which will come out next month.
"I didn't like the values that I saw. I was part of the problem and I wanted to stop the hypocrisy. I did not want to preach about the gap between the poor and rich when I represented that gap," said Shadyac, 52, who gave his fortune away to a variety of good causes. The movie is ambitious in its aims, setting out to explore the notion that our economy and way of life are based on selfish materialism that actually go against our true nature, which is to co-operate and unite. ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jan/16/tom-shadyac-hollywood-movies-film )
I asked myself, "How would I answer the film's question, 'Who are you?'" and my answer begins: "I am the intentional creation of the loving Creator-God Who stamped His image on me and entrusted me with the care of other creatures on earth. He created me to enjoy relationship with Him and with people, assigning me a mind, will, authority and creativity to fulfill my purpose.
"Then God said,
'Let Us make man in Our image,
in Our likeness,
and let them rule
over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air,
over the livestock,
over all the earth,
and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'
So God created man in His own image,
in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them."
Genesis 1:26-27
"I risked all by granting you freedom to think for yourself. This is godlike privilege, forever setting you apart from animals and robots. I made you in My image, precariously close to deity." (Sarah Young, Jesus Calling)
I am an individual God designed with the free will to either become like Him or to deny Him.
"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace" Romans 8:5-6
I am a sinner and God knew I would fail to uphold His purpose for me. In a Love only He can express, He provided an escape from the traps of and penalty for my sin. Jesus Christ, His Son, sacrificed the riches of heaven and His perfect life to pay for my sin. Then He conquered death to give me eternal life in heaven where I will reign with Him as God originally intended. My job until then is to grow in my relationship with God and my fellow humans by setting my mind on what His Spirit desires."
That is who I am and who I am becoming. Who are you?
Father, You alone are God. We accumulate wealth, power, authority, status, influence, and control but You are God alone. Strengthen us against the temptation that brought Satan from heaven to hell: the sin of wanting to take Your place as God. May it be enough that You've created us in Your image and given us all we need. Guide us to think constantly of You and Your great Love and purposes for us. May we be satisfied and rejoice in who You created us to be.
In the Name of Jesus, the only God incarnate!
Inspired by Jesus Calling
photo from photobucket.com
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