Ten Minute Mystic: Part 1: What’s Your Sentence?

Piety, People, Possessions: A Vision

            Dallas Willard writes that personal change or growth takes place in three steps summarized by the letters V, I, M.  First, we have to embrace a Vision of the kind of change we want to see happening in our life.  Then, we make an Intentional decision that we’re going to pursue that vision.  Finally, we determine the Means for living out that vision.

            All three steps are critical.  But it all begins with Vision.

            In his Sermon on the Mount Jesus shares his vision for three areas of life:

• Piety – our relationship with God and its internal and external expressions.
• People – our relationship to other people.
• Possessions – our use of and attitude towards money and stuff in life.

            Growth and change in any of the three areas begins by firmly fixing Jesus’ vision in our minds and hearts.  Here’s my summary of that vision:

Piety

• Practice a faith that is not merely external and superficial. (Matt. 5:8)
• Be willing to pay the price to do what’s right by others and by God. (Matt. 5:10)
• Do the good deeds that act as salt and light. (Matt. 5:13-16)
• Give to the poor, pray, and fast for God’s sake, not yours. (Matt. 6:1-6,16-18)
• Pray for God’s kingdom to come instead of for your will to be done. (Matt. 6:7-15)
• Trust in a God who knows how to give good gifts. (Matt. 7:7-11)
• Let your path not be the crowded one but the little-traveled one. (Matt. 7:13-14)
• Do not aspire to the claim of sensational spirituality but to the claim of simple obedience. (Matt. 7:21-23)
• Do not merely listen to God’s words but do live them out. (Matt. 7:24-27)

People

• Show favor to the poor in spirit who have no one but God in their corner, the mournful so weary of the  wrong in the world, the meek and the missing out, and those who are hungering and thirsting for the world to be made right. (Matt. 5:2-6)
• Show mercy. (Matt. 5:7)
• Pursue God’s peace for all people. (Matt. 5:9)
• Do not harbor anger but seek reconciliation. (Matt. 5:21-26)
• Pay any price to think and act without lust. (Matt. 5:27-30)
• Do not divorce but be faithful. (Matt. 5:31-32)
• Do not deceive but let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes.’ (Matt. 5:33-37)
• Do not respond to evil with violence but with love. (Matt. 5:38-48)
• Pursue the strengthening of your own weaknesses rather than pointing out the weaknesses of others. (Matt. 7:1-6)
• Do to others what you would have them do to you. (Matt. 7:12)
• Do not listen to others because of the fruit on their resumes but because of the fruit in their character. (Matt. 7:15-20)

Possessions

• Do not be miserly and serve Money but be generous and serve God. (Matt. 6:19-24)
• Do not worry but do trust in the caring provision and kingdom purpose of God. (Matt. 6:25-34)

            If your life was a car, these would be the three dials on the dashboard.  One would measure the depth of your intimacy with God.  One would track the quality of your relationships with the people around you.  One would indicate the degree to which you are owned by what you own and the level of your generosity toward others.  All three dials are crucial to living life as God intended.

            If the world was a patient, these would be the tests a doctor would run.  Test 1 would indicate the level of authentic spirituality.  Test 2 would measure the presence of hatred and intolerance and the presence of mercy and compassion.  Test 3 would provide needed information on the amount of greed and giving in the world.  Making the world a better place means increasing world-health in all three areas.

            All three dials are important.  All three tests are crucial.

            But it all begins with vision.

What’s Your Sentence?

            Daniel Pink, author of “Drive,” released a video on New Year’s Day in 2010 asking the simple question, “What’s Your Sentence?”  Pink urged readers and viewers to summarize what their life is all about in one sentence.  Written from a third person perspective (e.g., Chris loved others deeply), the sentence becomes a focal point that clarifies priorities and inspires behavior and growth.

            Imagine you are at a funeral–your funeral.  Three people have been asked to each speak one sentence about your life.  The first has been asked to share one sentence on the quality of your piety.  The second has been asked to share one sentence that speaks about your connections to others.  The third has been asked to recite one sentence that sums up your approach toward money and possessions.

            What are these three sentences?

            What is your life going to be about when it comes to piety? To people?  To possessions?  Take ten minutes today to write down these three sentences.  The exercise will help clarify a vision for your life.  That’s the first step in experiencing real change in your world and in the world around you.

Piety________________________________________.

People_______________________________________.

Possessions___________________________________.

[image]