Not in himself
“O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walks to direct his steps.” Jeremiah 10:23
Not in himself – One of the greatest admissions of insufficiency we can make is the moment when we finally realize that we are not capable of determining our own destiny. Notice that this is not an admission of inadequate knowledge. It’s not simply a case of not knowing what to do or how to do it. This is a much deeper admission. It is agreeing with God that I am utterly unable to determine and execute that path the I should take. I need outside help.
Our post-modern Greek based world cannot make this confession. The culture believes that the only real problem facing human destiny is lack of knowledge and will. The culture is awash in programs and promotions that suggest if we only knew more or only made more effort, we could find our destinies and be fulfilled. The utopian dream (for that is all that it is) has not faded from this earth in spite of centuries of dismal results. Why haven’t we figured out that left to ourselves we make a big mess of life? The answer is really quite simple – and Biblical. The answer is that we were never designed to manage life on our own. We were designed to be dependent expressions of God’s purposes, not independent assertions of Man’s intentions. So, deep within us is a profound schism. We are fundamentally insufficient. That idea grates against our desire to captain our own souls. And the result is an inner warfare.
Jeremiah recognizes that he is made for relationship, not independence. He sees that unless he reaches this point of admission, he is ultimately lost, plodding a path that will never guarantee destiny. He sees that the human perspective, as magnificent as it is, is flawed by finitude. And it just can’t be fixed on this side of heaven.
What about you and me? Have you reached the point where you can honestly say, “Lord, I absolutely know that I am unable to find my own way in life. I need help”? Until you embrace that admission, you will forever be caught in the post-modern trap, chasing a destiny of your own making, doomed to your own finite perspective. Of course, logically we can agree that the limits of humanity keep us in the dark. But logic only brings us to the brink of admission. How will your perspective on life change once you see that you can’t do it yourself? Will you discover different goals? Different success measures? Will you leave behind what misdirects you? Will you learn to listen before you act?
Admission brings submission to the direction of Another. Life gets much simpler. Kind of like being a child, don’t you think?
