Tuesday, June 22- Discussing Chapter One of "The Me I Want to Be " by John Ortberg
*I would encourage you to take some notes as you go through the book and perhaps underline key passages along the way. each chapter has some good personal questions to ponder. I hope that on your own you will answer Ortberg's question on page 21-- "how is your spiritual life going?"
*For today (and next few days as we get into this study) and for our discussion purposes let me throw out some things you might share or comment on:
1. Share with the group your favorite statement(s)/comment from chapter 1. (What "hits" us often reveals a lot about ourselves)
2. Do you need someone to "ring your bell" as John's wife Nancy did? (see page 11-12 when she shared her list of things John could do better)
3. Have you ever made the excuse "I'm doing the best I can" but deep down realizing you're actually not "doing the best you can"?
4. Comment on the following quote- "God made you to flourish but flourishing never happens by looking out for 'number one'." It is tied to a grander nobler vision" (page 13)
5. Ortberg tells the story of the enthusiastic airport shuttle bus driver, who just radiated joy and enthusiasm as he went about his work and created a "community of joy". (page 13 and 14). Share with the group an example of someone you see "flourishing". As Ortberg illustrates, flourishing lives can be found anywhere.
***That's enough to get us going. Feel free to comment on one or comment on multiple questions. Anything you share will be a gift. Participate as you are able.
Dear God, thank you for all those who are taking part in this discussion. Help us all to become the people you are calling us to be. Help our lives to flourish so that we might become the best version of who you created us to be. Amen
5. I encounter many of these humble servants along the way but one that stands out to me is the head of the Deli at the Safeway near our church. I can't remember this ladies name (shame on me) but this young lady is just the most enthusiastic and joyful person. You almost feel like going over to her counter to get lunchmeat just because she will be so excited to see you and so sincere. I consider her a "breath of fresh air" as do many.
ReplyDelete2. yes- I'm like Ortberg in that I need my clock rung and I share his spiritual gift of pouting as well!
1. some of my favorite quotes of chapter one--
"Everyone is supposed to nod their head sympathetically when you say, "I'm doing the best I can". But Nancy loves truth (and me) too much to do that. So she rang my bell. "No, you're not". p. 12
I just find this so compelling. Not many of us enjoy the truth, especially when someone is so direct about it. But, the truth tellers in our lives are often from people who love us dearly and their insight can spark us if we aren't so defensive.
Under the Fair Use section of copyright law I am making the following gem available to all here for a limited time. This is the title song of Fuzzy Logic's "Doing the Best I Can" album: http://www.radix.net/~dlc/DTBIC.wma Enjoy!
ReplyDelete1. "God wants to redeem you, not exchange you." God gave each of us a unique set of talents. We need to accept, cultivate, and exploit them.
ReplyDelete2. I do. But more than that, I struggle with keeping my priorities straight. Being a good employee, good citizen, good church member often becomes more important than being a good husband and father. I never like having my shortcomings pointed out, but I know I need it.
3. Of course. See my answer to 2. The question is: "doing my best at what?"
4. This seems simple enough--it's axiomatic that being selfish may make you rich, but won't allow you to flourish. There's a more difficult issue. I'm an engineer and a guy--that means I'm inclined to take matters into my own hands and try to fix them. Even a humble and honest attempt to get better may be misguided, because it's not about what I think I should be, but what God wants me to be. I really have trouble dealing with that.
"Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." --Psalm 121:1
ReplyDeleteSo, Jud, as an engineer like you, I find it is less about being what I am supposed to be (the best ____ engineer on the planet!) and more about pursuing the LORD's Will in any particular situation using my unique gifts and experience.
To do this requires an ability to discern His Will at all times. The Scriptures indicate through Baptism we _do_ receive that restoration of facility to commune with His Spirit. If Jesus is meant to be our template for thinking, speaking, behaving, and so forth, then doing only the Father's Will in our lives at all times should be the result.
"My sheep hear My Voice, and a stranger's voice they will not follow." --John 10:27
If our radio is silent or the signal is distorted, it's not the transmitter that is malfunctioning.
Here's a great article that examines this concept: http://www.moretolifetoday.com/bible%20study/Bible%20Study_Hearing%20the%20Voice%20of%20God.pdf -- I hope it is helpful for you.
Monica Rose here. We've been attending on and off since coming to the area 9 years ago. Just made it official last month although my boys, 10 and 12, jumped in with both feet last September. I travel quite a bit with work, so the idea of this online group is quite ideal to me. Looking forward to exploration.
ReplyDelete1. When John asks himself, "What is it that you really want?" it is for me the continual question and ever-changing answer. And later in the chapter when he says simply, "I don't want to miss the dance." I feel like I am constantly struggling with watching the dance from the sidelines or worse, going to the wrong dance.
2. and 3. I definitely need bell ringing and am absolutely stubborn about admitting it. I'm more of a bell ringer in my world and many times have to be reminded I am indeed not always doing the best I can. It's those minutes right before falling asleep when I admit to myself just how far away I was from my best that day.
4. Such a tough goal. Especially if that means looking beyond my household. It's easy to put my family before myself. Not so easy the rest of the world.
5. I meet that shuttle driver all the time. He's driving my cab, he's checking me into my hotel, he's giving me directions on a street. And it's just like that commercial we all love, it does for a time make you pass it on and try to bring joy and helpfulness to the next guy you see. I think the harder goal for me is being that way to the people that see me everyday. It's almost easier to be kinder to strangers. I seem to offer the 'worst of me' to those who need my best the most.
1. I must admit that I am struggling with 2 statements from the book. On the jacket it says "The most important task of your life is not what you do, but who you become." In chapter 1 there is a statement "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." This seems to me a contradiction and I believe the second statement is more true. I think of the verse James 2:17 "...faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead."
ReplyDelete2. I have had my "bell wrung" not necessarily directed just to me but by a sermon I have heard, something I have read and other peoples lives I have witnessed.
3. Actually I know I am not doing the best I can and I am wondering right now if I have heard God correctly that I am to be in the Rachel's Vineyard ministry, I am leading a retreat this weekend and I am far from where I should be but I know that God is in control of these weekends and will accomplish His work in spite of me.
4. See my answer to number 1.
5. I have known many people that are flourishing through out my life. I had the blessing recently of meeting Sr.Cecilia and was able to spend a couple of days at the retreat house that she serves the Lord in. She was a true example of following Christ in showing love to others. She shared with me many of the ministries that God called her to over the years and I know that she really made a difference in many lives with God working through her.
Something that hit me in Chapter 1 was on p. 14--"He never gets discouraged in how long it takes, and he delights every time you grow. Omly God can see the best version of you." That is SO encouraging to me--God is incredibly patient with each of us, and it takes so little to bring HIm joy, just seeing a little growth makes Him joyful. WOW!!
ReplyDelete3. I think we'd all like to believe we are "doing the best we can." I know I would, and have said so , at least to myself many times. If we didn't, we'd be highly disappointing ourselves. But I know I'm not doing all I can in taking care of myself emotionally--relieving stress when I can so I'm better able to be a good wife and Mom.
To flourish is to go beyond number one...but for me, if I don't care for me, I can't go on to flourish for God in the lives of others. So, maybe this is contrary to Ortgerg's suggestion, but I will flourish more when I can be the best me. I am very anxious to move into the book to purseu becoming a better me.
2.
1. “God won’t discard our raw material. He redirects it.” (Don’t know page # because I’m reading the book on Kindle – its’ location 203-8). This is both freeing and worrying. God can and does work with me as I am, so that my growth and flourishing isn’t suddenly going to make me ‘different’ (even if what I think I want to be is different). It will be a redirect of who I already am. That’s a bit scary to me.
ReplyDelete2. Yeah – I know I need someone to ring my bell –especially to let me know when my whining is enough (and I’m NOT doing the best I can). But boy, is that hard to hear without getting defensive.
3. Yes – but I’m not sure I’m always able to recognize this behavior/attitude in myself when it happens – hence the need for bell-ringing (see #2).
4. I like this quote and it seems so obvious to me – except when I’m all caught up in myself and start thinking it’s all about me. But really, I flourish best when I am other-focussed. When I’m other focused, I’m more open to hearing what God has to say to me, and more open to seeing where He wants to lead me.
5. There’s an employee at the Chicken Out I sometimes frequent on Shady Grove Road who is always so pleasant and upbeat – I always look forward to seeing him when I stop in (and am disappointed when he’s not there). But as much as I appreciate the image that John Ortberg presents of living with joy and enthusiasam, I still struggle a bit with the nagging thought about when being that enthusiastic is real or a “Pollyanna” view that hides pain. I don’t want the message to be – be positive at all costs, because that isn’t real.