Why Being Self-Made Is a Threat to Your Spiritual Health
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DESCRIPTION
In this episode of the Grace Church Members podcast, Chris Rivers and Scott Mozingo talk with Downtown campus pastor Scofield Foster and volunteer Haley Barinowski about the concept of being self-made. Our culture elevates autonomy and self-reliance, which is an alluring concept, but it fuels our anxiety and loneliness. We can only find freedom, rest, and joy in the One who created us.
KEY POINTS
- The dangers of self-reliance and the illusion of being "self-made,” particularly around issues of gender and sex
- The difference between fleeting emotions and timeless wisdom
- What it looks like to “tie ourselves to the mast” and “sing a better song” to resist the world’s allure
- Finding genuine joy and freedom by placing Jesus at the core of our existence
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- In what ways do societal norms influence our perception of autonomy and self-reliance, and how can we counteract these pressures?
- How can anchoring our beliefs in historical and philosophical contexts enrich our understanding of the world and our place in it?
- What practical steps can we take to ensure that we're grounding our significance in a divine Creator rather than in societal values or our own achievements?
- Reflecting on the allegory of the sirens, how can we "tie ourselves to the mast" of enduring truths in our daily lives?