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| |  | Michael Fox CPCC,
founder of m�agine!,
is a professional
coach and trainer,
author and creative artist, whose work has been featured throughout
the world.
Michael is a
Certified Practitioner
of the
Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator.�
Do you know someone
who might benefit
from our weekly email?
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I'm a faithful friend, a faithful spouse, a faithful child of God.
That said...
I'm a flawed friend, a flawed spouse, a flawed child of God.
At some point, I believe it was in the spring of 1942--well, to be honest with you that's just a random guess--someone in the religious world redefined faithfulness. In the lexicon of many today, the word "faithfulness" implies "flawlessness." Spot on. Spot off.
The concept of faithfulness in scripture is wrapped up in a packed, romantic Hebrew word, chesed. It takes a bit of an effort--and a bit of phlegm doesn't hurt--to correctly pronounce chesed: a gutteral "ch," two short "e"s, and the accent on the first syllable. Actually though, the word is easier to pronounce than it is to define. Chesed includes three qualities: love, mercy, and fidelity to covenant (for it's used exclusively of partners who have exchanged vows within a covenant, or contract). One lexicographer beautifully intoned that chesed "is not only a matter of obligation but is also of generosity. It is not only a matter of loyalty, but also of mercy." The soul of chesed is captured in the chorus of Psalm 136: "His love [chesed] endures forever" (NIV).
The events at Mount Sinai, just weeks after Israel's exodus from Egypt, illustrate the depth of chesed. On behalf of the nation of Israel, Moses climbed the mountain and received two tables of stone from Jehovah. Inscribed upon the tablets was the Decalogue, ten terms that amplified the two foremost commands: one, "You shall love the LORD God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength" (the principle behind the first four of the Ten Commandments); and, two, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (the principle behind the last six of the Ten Commandments). As Moses descended from the mountain, he was horrified to see Israel worshiping a golden calf, a violation of the second term of the Decalogue. Moses, understanding that Israel had broken covenant, assumed the worst and instinctively broke the tablets--essentially "tearing up the contract."
With echoes of chesed from the garden (Genesis 3:21), God invited Moses to return to the mountain and to cut out two stone tablets to replace the first pair. Jehovah would reaffirm the covenant. First, however, and significantly, God would reaffirm his own character as covenant maker and keeper to Moses: "Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love [chesed] and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love [chesed] to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin" (Exodus 34:6-7).
Truly, God's chesed--his unfailing love, his mercy, his faithfulness--are less qualities of God's character than expressions of his being. As the apostle John would later declare, "God is love," Moses might have testified, "God is chesed." "God is love. God is mercy. God is fidelity." And, ironically, God's chesed--while not giving license to foolishness--does presume that our faithfulness will not be flawless. And so, although...
I'm a flawed friend, a flawed spouse, a flawed child of God.
Still...
I'm a faithful friend, a faithful spouse, a faithful child of God.
What does it look like to be a faithful child of God? The prophet of old posed the same question:
With what shall I come to the Lord and bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves? Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice [mishpat], to love kindness [chesed], and to walk humbly [tsana] with your God?" (Micah 6:6-8).
What is your perception of God's expectations of you? From your point of view, must you be flawless to be faithful? How does your perception of God's expectations of you color your relationships with others?
How would you describe King David, "a man after God's own heart?" Flawless or faithful? How did it show up in his relationship as a friend, as a spouse, as a child of God?
How would you evaluate your own aptitude around making and keeping covenants--covenants with either the LORD God or with neighbor? Do you practice chesed? How does chesed show up in you? Or not?
How might chesed improve the covenants of interpersonal relationships including marriage and friendship?
Don't you find the sheer number of these questions irritating? Especially when there are multiple questions masquerading as one question? Well?
How does our culture influence our attitude toward covenants, or contracts--again, those we make either with the LORD God or with neighbor? Do we view covenants, or contracts, primarily from the vantage point of protecting and justifying our self-interests? Or do they reflect the essence of chesed--a desire to support our covenant partners for mutual success?
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Michael Fox
m�agine!
530/613.2774
407 Myrtle Drive
Farmerville, LA, USA 71241 |
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In addition to personal and professional coaching,
m�agine! specializes in spiritual transformation coaching,
employing its proprietary models
--Values, Vision, Voice and Heart, Soul, Mind & Strength--
as well as
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator� curriculum
published by CPP, the People Development People.
Michael's books include
Complete in Christ,
Complete in Christ Spiritual Transformation Workbook,
and Biblio�files.
Coaching fees are based upon a sliding scale. Contact us for details.
For additional information, visit our website at maginethepossibilities.net.
Limited scholarships are available for spiritual transformation coaching.
On the flip side, if you are able, please inquire about opportunities
to fund scholarships for those who cannot afford coaching fees.
View our archives!
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