Lie 1: We can create anything, including our own purpose.
“We have overshadowed God in our lives because we have an overinflated view of human potential.”
– Pastor Michael Chinchilla.
We have fallen into the trap of believing that our purpose is self-created. That if we can only dig down a little deeper, read another self-help book, speak to another professional, or download another app, we will discover that great purpose that will fill the ever-present gap in our lives.
We want control. We want freedom. But in exchange for that control and independence, we are willfully removing God’s freedom. We are disconnecting God from his creation. We are losing touch with who we are because we are removing God’s control and influence from our lives.
“We’ve traded all the things God is known for because we want a sense of control.
We’ve traded the vision of God’s freedom for the reality of our own security.”
– Pastor Michael Chinchilla.
The truth is, ultimate purpose is given, not created.
Given by God. Found in God. Achieved with God.
Our primary purpose, which God is pointing out to all of us, is that God should carry the most weight in our lives. He is where we will find ultimate joy for eternity. In him, we will find purpose.
“Your relationship with God is collaborative. Who you are as a human being has to be built and dependent on who he is.”
– Pastor Michael Chinchilla.
Lie 2: You can do it on your own.
You can’t. But, technology tempts us into the belief that we can. YouTube holds a wealth of knowledge. You’ll find thousands of videos teaching you how to perfect that new hobby, but technology can and will never replace the lessons we learn from God’s Word.
It leads us to believe the lie that we can achieve all that we need, all that we desire, on our own. Technology breaks down relationships and creates a buffer between humanity and the true, meaningful relationships we were made for. The disconnection we experience through technology is a loss of our humanity.
The truth is, we are made in the image of someone who is not just a me, but an us.
“At the center of the universe is a relationship. This is the most fundamental truth I know. At the center of the universe is a community. It is out of that relationship that you and I were created and redeemed. And it is for that relationship that you and I were created and redeemed!”
– Darrell Johnson in Experiencing the Trinity
We can only truly discover who we are, who we are meant to be, and what it means to be human through the one who created us. You cannot do it on your own because you were not created to be alone. We were not created for independence.
“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ And he said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.’ He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked?’”
Genesis 3:8-11
What is the most meaningful voice in your head? Who, or what, are you looking to in an attempt to find yourself and your purpose? Are you, like Adam and Eve, hiding from God because of your sin? Separation from God is separation from yourself and your purpose.
Lie 3: Failure comes from a lack of progress.
The trend of the technological age is to constantly seek progress. We define our lives according to progress. Our next steps are determined by the progress we think we need to make. And when we don’t achieve it, we crumble, we feel like failures, and we lose sight of what is truly important.
“For us to put our lives on technology is the same as building our lives on sand.”
– Pastor Michael Chinchilla.
The constant drive for technological progress is the same drive that is pushing us further and further away from God. We’re not failing due to a lack of progress. We’re failing because we’re seeking progress in the wrong places.
The truth is, we fail because we are sinful.
We fail because we live according to and believe the lie that humanity is the sole creator of meaning, value, and historical development. We fail because we have alienated ourselves from the true creator.
“The beauty of God not treasured.
The goodness of God not savored.
The faithfulness of God not trusted.
The commandments of God not obeyed.
The justice of God not respected.
The wrath of God not feared.
The grace of God not cherished.
The presence of God not prized.
The person of God not loved.
That is sin.”
– John Piper
By looking inwardly, and seeking meaning within ourselves and the technological world that consumes us, we have rejected the one who created us. The only one who looks at us with all our flaws, all our sin, all our brokenness, but loves us anyway.
“You are not a glitch. You are loved beyond all measure. Not because you’re great, but because he is. He has committed you to himself. What are you going to do with this?”
– Pastor Michael Chinchilla.
This blog is a companion piece to the “Your God” sermon given by Pastor Michael Chinchilla.
Watch the “You Are Not A Glitch” series here.