By Bob and Susan Karcher, Authors, Who Are the Joneses Anyway?
“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.” Ephesians 1:11 (MSG)
Two weeks ago we talked about that famous phrase “Keeping up with the Joneses” and how it still holds true for us today. In one way or another, our culture persistently falls into the trap of trying to keep up with our neighbors.
In our first halves of life we had been compulsively chasing something without really knowing what it was. We weren’t pursuing a goal, a dream, or a passion. It was something more nebulous, easy to miss at first and we were seeking contentment in our titles, possessions, and successes. We had been focusing on what we were and what we attained. We now know that “what” is the wrong starting point.
It’s time to live our lives with a new perspective.
A New Perspective
For us, this new perspective comes from the Bible. It was here we uncovered that who we are does not depend on how well we do in the world; our true identities and reason for living can only be found in Christ (Ephesians 1:11 [paraphrased]).
We were running on life’s treadmill as fast as possible and doing the best we could. We came to identify ourselves by our jobs and what we accumulated; we just thought that was how it worked. But now we know we had it backward. Our identity in Christ comes first—our role in the world, and everything else, flows from Him.
This changed everything for us and it was so significant we wrote a book about it called Who Are the Joneses Anyway? We now dedicate our lives to helping others discover who they are and why they are here so they can lead the intentional, authentic lives they were created for.
We have experienced a complete transformation in our lives and have seen others experience the same through discovering who they are and why they are here.
If you allow it, this will transform your life too.
What would happen if you weren’t worried so much about titles, possessions, status, and keeping up? How would your life change if you focused on who you are, why you’re here, and the difference you want to make with your life?
Think of the possibilities if you started living your life more intentionally, doing more of the things that matter most—and less of everything else. Could life be less hectic? What if you spent more time doing things today that could lead to a better tomorrow, instead of just trying to survive each day? What if you could live more simply, yet more fully?
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