Fish Can't Climb Trees - Why Finding Our True and Authentic Self is Important

Christians understand that God dwells inside of each of us; his very essence literally indwells every person walking our planet. In fact, there is reason to believe that he lives within every creature he has ever created. His endless ability and desire to create has resulted in humans being specially "made in his image”. The last four words of that sentence carry major implications and deep meaning because his image means we are a reflection of him and of who he is. If God the creator is reflected in you, me, and everyone else, what could that mean for us? This is a good thing to contemplate. If God, as the Bible describes, is love, light, and life, what am I to be? What does this mean in how I am toward myself and others who also bear his image? The reality that we reflect the One who dwells within us has changed me more than anything. The Indwelling Spirit of God defines who we are in a deep and very authentic way. This internal existence of God within us all is also the basis of the command that Jesus gave us to “love one another”. By doing so, we are loving both his creation and him. More on that later as there is a lot within this matter as well.

There are many religious and spiritual traditions that seek the Indwelling Spirit. My experiences with the Quaker and Benedictine traditions have helped me understand and appreciate the ramifications of having God live within me. The tradition of silent contemplation of the inner light of God or "open worship" has been central to my spiritual life for many years. Benedictines practice Lectio Divina or Holy Reading of scripture in order to seek God's guidance. Previously, I hadn't considered that we might be able to hear God "speak" to us through these contemplative practices. Perhaps his communication isn’t an “audible voice” but, a feeling or knowing. It is the “still, small voice” as described in the Bible and I've had experiences in my own life where God did communicate with me in this way. I'm certainly not unique in this.

I've had the experience of receiving, perhaps inaudible, answers to heavy problems I was facing. In a place outside where I could take you today, while praying and asking God for direction, his answer was quick and concise. It was very clearly God and his message to me was this (paraphrased): “You are holding back and not following through on dedicating your life to me. You are letting your own life prevent you from being all-in.”  That is a paraphrased summary of the message but, effectively describes what I needed to hear at the time. At that point, there was no way that I could disregard what I had just "heard". I felt a new energy to follow through. But, God doesn't just communicate; he isn't only a voice. He is an active participant in forming who we are - our true selves. We have to be all-in for this transformation to be complete. We have to be committed.

That experience changed God's role in my life forever. From that point, I would be more deliberate in making him my true center... where he belonged all along. Previously, I had believed myself to be a little smarter than other Christians. I kept God, his Son, and Spirit at a distance by loving him only up to the point that he started interfering with my life. I thought this was a practical approach to faith in God when in actuality it is no faith at all. I thought: "how can I put God first and still be a dedicated husband, father, friend, and provider?". Logic told me that I couldn't but, our logic is sometimes wrong. I had spent my whole life missing the point.

If God created me in his image and I deny that reality by resisting him, I can never be whole. Why? Because by not fully submitting to God, I am holding back and can never be my true self - the self that he designed and created. Think about that. What did your creator intend you to be and how are you potentially hampering that intended outcome? If God created us to reflect him in our own unique way but, we try to limit what role he plays in our lives, because of our own doubts, preconceived ideas, prejudices, and biases, we are not letting him take hold of who we are. If I don’t let him take hold of me in this way, I am certainly less than I am capable of being. As a result of going "all-in", I'm a better husband, father, friend, and person. A simple example of how God's intended design is supposed to work is illustrated in a quote attributed to Albert Einstein: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”. Maybe that is a weird example but, you can see where I'm going. Being what we are intended to be, as designed by our Creator, is simply the best approach we can take to a fulfilled life.

After my experiences in listening to God's spirit within me, I began to understand that I needed to let go of the world and quit with the incessant attempts to balance God in my life; to simply be what he intended me to be. Finding our true selves isn't just walking up to an altar and saying a prayer or saying "I believe". Our fulfilled life as a Christian begins when we dedicate ourselves fully to Jesus Christ. It is a conscious decision to follow him, committing to centering our lives upon him, and allowing him to help deliver fulfillment in our lives. One thing is certain, if we ask him to make the changes in us that he wishes to see, it will happen. I committed to God that I would follow him wherever he would take me; to be what He wanted me to be. I committed that there would be no more limiting how much he would interfere in my life. I asked him to change me into what he designed me to be. He has been doing exactly that. You know, sometimes those changes in me have hurt; changes often do. But, I couldn't be more complete nor more fulfilled. I'm no longer a fish trying to climb a tree. I'm who God created me to be and I'm getting pretty good at it.