My goodness… I didn’t realize that I was sooo performance based! No, not in relation to others, as a basis of comparison – just in terms of me. And while some of you who are more familiar with me, I suspect this comes as no great shock. Was it my family? my friends? my standard? my frame of reference/mindset? social mores when I was growing up? All? All and More? Probably yes.
Perhaps it isn’t wise sharing this intimate understanding with ‘the public’ but… it is an interesting ponder. Pick a subject, any subject that is a definition of who we are, our selves and what makes us this way. Nurture? Nature? Learning?
Familiarity? Experiences? And again yes to all that… but there’s still more. What keeps us applying/utilizing this (as our) standard? It can’t be only success, reinforcement. So…… why?
Success, confidence and a sense of achievement obviously have to be part of our continuity. But it goes deeper. When I don’t act in accord with my principles, my standards, my identity – then I present not only a mixed message but a denial of me. And sooner or later I’m going to have to resolve the discrepancy. Have I changed? Am I replacing a principle? Is my ‘new’ something that is integrate-able with the other parts of me? I think this last question is the important question.
Am I an extrovert? An introvert? Straddling between the two? Honestly, what difference does ‘titles’ really make, do they convey who we are? Are they walls we hide behind or use as excuses are the really important questions.
“So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back it up], is by itself dead [inoperative and ineffective]. But someone may say, “You [claim to] have faith and I have [good] works; show me your [alleged] faith without the works [if you can], and I will show you my faith by my works [that is, by what I do].” (James 2:17-18)
I’ve always appreciated these verses… and before you jump to the conclusion that faith isn’t all it’s cracked up to be or that works are far more important – I recommend you read these verses from a variety of versions. Bottom line: both are important! One is the foundation, the purpose for the actions [faith] and the other is the expression (performance) of that foundation. How can you possibly know the extent of your faith without seeing the visible affect? And how do you know and understand that affect without a foundation?
Another bottom line… performance IS the ‘proof is in the eating’ saying. If there are no works, then how is your faith expressed? Only in words? And… if your works have no foundation, then what is the reason/purpose of the actions? PLUS, why try and separate them in the first place?
