Unseen Anatomy - Silence
Speaker: Pastor Pierre du Plessis
There are parts of us that we allow others to see and a shadow self that we do not allow to be seen. We experience dissatisfaction or shame when we make the mistake of comparing our lives to that of others. Putting a high value on what others think leads to a life pulled by the strings and expectations of others. We must remember that we are not only uniquely made but also fearfully and wonderfully made such that God loves every part of us. According to Galatians 6:4-5 (Msg), We need to make a careful exploration of who we are and the work we have been given. We also need to determine our own convictions and to cling to them, otherwise, we will be assimilated into the world and will accept whatever the world systems present. Rather than living fragmented lives, we must get to know ourselves.
We can bring our shadow self to God and recognize that the human soul is exposed in silence. We may need to move away from activities and busy-ness and be still before the Lord. Lean in and invite Him to the places we are hesitant to look at. Like Elijah, we may discover that God speaks in different ways, not only in the wind, earthquake or fire, but in a whisper or sheer silence. We can trust that He will reveal not only Himself to us, but things we can learn and know about ourselves.
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. What resonated with you as you listened to this sermon and reviewed it?
2. In what ways have you compared yourself to others? How did you feel after you had done so? What, if anything, were you prompted to do or do differently?
3. Why do you think it is problematic for us to consistently compare ourselves to others?
4. Why do you think silence is so uncomfortable for us?
5. How can we go about determining what our convictions are?
6. What is a fragmented life? What does it look like?
7. It was said that anything that does not come from knowing God or yourself will have no lasting meaning. What does this mean to you?
