blog.optimuschoice.com “Finding Your Muchness”

6. March 2010 by BruceSmith.

Finding Your Muchness

Where do you go to figure out who you are?  In a world full of options, far too many to list, and far too diverse, this becomes a question of paramount importance for every living adventurer.  If you have paid attention (and if you’ve seen the movie), its the question resounding in the heart of Alice in Tim Burton’s new take on the classic Alice in Wonderland.  The recent movie, a new look at a classic story, is grappling with a question for the ages.  Have you found your “muchness”?

Reality TV, the FaceBook phenomenon, and other social networking platforms, for observant participants, can be quite a study in our modern day search for our “muchness”.  If you are connected to a decent amount of “friends”on FaceBook, or if you have access to those who have not blocked their life from outsiders, its worth doing a little research project of your own to find out where and how people in our culture are searching for their own muchness.  Parents, if you want to know where your own kids are on this search, brace yourself, do your homework, and take a look at their social networking lives.  You may be in for a wake-up call.  Its an education for anyone truly looking for social, societal, and spiritual insight.  

Now, you say, “But we are not to judge a book by its cover, and we are not to look on outward appearance!”  And to some extent this is true.  But the reality is, just as on network TV, the world of music entertainment, the movie screen, and any other cultural outlet open to observation, the themes that are clearly evident and on display for the world to see tell much about our lives, and the lives of others around us.  Entertainment industry analysts will tell you that ratings grow as resonance heightens within a demographic audience.  That is to say, people watch what they like, aspire to, identify with, and in some real sense, embrace.  

Before you jump to conclusions here and think I am suggesting that we can or should evaluate people’s lives based on outward appearance only, I am not.  Nor am I espousing some moral police program for evaluating the lives of others.  That being said, remember the oft quoted truism, “Your life may be the only Gospel some people ever read.”  What are the adventures we are living telling others about who we are, what our compass is, and who our God is?  Take a look at your own adventure pics, entertainment expenses, social scene, calendar, friendship networks, and bank statement if you really want to know what your life is about and what it may be telling others about your own muchness. 

We all crave a life of adventure, and we all want to know we matter.  Few would argue with this.  Too seldom, however, do we actually pursue the kind of adventure story that betrays our desire to live out the quest according to God’s plan for “muchness”.  Parents, what kind of adventure are your kids seeing lived out in your life?  Is it one of passionate pursuit of Christ-likeness?  Do they see a humble, loving, nurturing, tender, vibrant, consistent, joyous, holy, honest, and courageous pursuit of God in your daily life, your weekend excursions, your relationships, your work, your goals, and your encouragement to them?  Are you able to coach them toward what Godliness looks like?  Teens, what are your muchness pictures and adventures telling the world about you?  Is every adventure, every adventure pic, every adventure story about the last party, fling, thrill?  Can your friends, and outsiders, see a difference in you?  Could anyone looking in on your outer life get a sense of who you are inside?  What does your inner muchness look like?  

We all need to be reminded that our outward reality points to an inner truth.  This is a biblical principle.  “From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks”.  What are you talking about?  What’s your muchness conversation about?  Anything remotely resembling biblical muchness?  “If anything is pure, holy, good, right…think (and talk) about these things”.  Are you a rumor mill, or is the beauty of Christ-centered talk what people hear when you speak?

Along the way, like Alice, we will all encounter many interesting twists and turns in our lives.  There will be crossroads where we must decide how to find and pursue our muchness, again and again.  In reality, every day, our lives are filled with these opportunities.  Its the millions of little moments and choices which define our ultimate muchness, actually.  Will I go on that date, will I go there, will I say that, will I give in to that thought, will I watch that, will I strike back, will I pursue the scriptures today, will I worship when times are tough, will I be true to His call when things are good and I’m not in a bind, will I …?

What Alice in Wonderland makes us aware of is the reality and draw of adventure in our lives.  We crave it.  We must all have it actually.  Its not if we will live an adventure, its about the quality and nature of our adventure.  Our muchness is all about our heart, our soul.  Are you at a crossroads?  Have you been defying the muchness to which God has called you?  Are you ready to consider again, perhaps for the first time, a full embrace of the muchness of God?  Are you ready to do relationships, work, missions, fun, money, and all of life with a passion for the muchness of Christ?

We all need to be reminded at times that we need to get our muchness back.  We all need to be hit with the reality at various moments in our lives, that we have not taken the right route to the land of muchness.  When we find that our own inner map-quest has led us astray and sent us throttling along a dangerous road to nothingness, we have a choice.  As the story illustrates, “Which way shall I go from here?”  “Well, that all depends upon where you are going?”  If you are not sure where you are going and where you are called by God to go, then most any road will get you to that land of nowhere.  Its not a place you want to be.  When God calls it changes everything, literally and profoundly.  His muchness touches thoughts, words, deeds, motivations, human interaction, life pursuits, mate choices, child-rearing, sexuality, emotions, …

Life lived to the full is found in pursuing our God given quest for muchness.  As we throw ourselves into that adventure an entirely new world full of color, characters, drama, passion, purpose, meaning, and hope unfolds.  The life God has for us, lived out, will call all the onlookers to marvel at the work of Christ in us, and will compel others to find their own muchness in Him.  There is no other adventure big enough to satisfy our souls.  Anything aside from the biblical model for muchness is a distraction, a detour from the best God has for us.  Any many, if not most, certainly most, of the characters you encounter along the way will steer you away from a truly Christ-centered quest.  “Wide is the road, and many who are on it, that leads to destruction”.  If you’ve taken those detours in the past you know that only pain, confusion, pettiness, and misery awaits.  If you’ve ever taken God up on his muchness, you know what the scriptures say is true, nothing in all of creation compares.    Indeed, we close with the scriptural version of the account of muchness,  “No eyes has seen, no ear has heard, nor mind conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”  Amen and amen.

Looking for adventure?  Find you muchness yet?  Need your muchness back?  Its all in Him.

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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