A Different Kind of Life

by Bill Heatley

The power of addiction can only be broken with a more powerful vision of life. One that is compelling enough to sustain us through the darkest valleys and also paints a vibrant picture of the person we are becoming and the blessing we will be.

“What carries you is your vision of life. And when you have that right, you are able to make sensible decisions that simplify your life and make it easy.” – Dallas Willard[1]

Vision is key, it is where the journey of recovery and new life begins as it directs and focuses (or simplifies) our efforts like the banks of a river moving us steadily toward a different kind of life, one that is filled with love of God and others. Addiction is the opposite; it is, as Augustine wrote, the heart turned in on itself (Latin: Cor incurvatus in se) and its vision is as toxic and blind as sin itself.

The first few steps toward our new life (recovery) are like drops of water on a parched and weary land, they soon become a trickle and then a stream until it roars like a river as it rushes headlong toward a better life leaving addiction far behind.

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14

Our vision is like a seed that contains hope for an abundant harvest of fruit and within that seed is the power transform our life. It needs fertile soil, sunlight, water, tending, and ‘God who gives the growth’ (1 Corinthians 3:6b). Our vision is what allows us to die to our old self and be resurrected into an eternal kind of life, “Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24)

Developing a Vision

Creating a vision for this different kind of life takes time. The process is dynamic and never-ending but even in its earliest stages it begins to influence and effect positive change. It must be honed and crafted within a loving community that includes God and others who are on the same journey.

“The seed is the Word of God” and so the Bible plays is an important part of crafting our vision. Other books that are helpful include; Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard, The Good and Beautiful You by James Bryan Smith, Viktor Frank’s Man’s Search for Meaning, and The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren to name just a few.

A vision should have at least four parts: 1) Imago Dei and Imago Christi virtues(Latin for Image of God and Image of Christ), 2) A growing understanding of how God has made you to contribute to the common good and His purposes, 3) An deepening  understanding of our unique knitting, and 4) the specific circumstances and experiences of our time and place in God’s world.

Godly Virtues: We begin where we began; in the creative and loving mind of God, in our Imago Dei. To be made in the image and likeness of God means we are born into God’s world, in relationship with Him and others. We have creative skills and abilities and are responsible for stewarding God’s creation including ourselves and others in His name. Our vision should move us toward becoming like Jesus Christ, to bear his image and likeness (Imago Christi).

And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Jesus is to be our role model and the heart of our vision. His image gives substance to our vision, as the Lord is “always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” (Psalms 16:8) The New Testament provides multiple examples (1 Cor 2:16, Matthew 5:48, 2 Peter 1:3-11, Ephesians 5:1, Galatians 4:19…)

This part of our vision includes descriptions of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and reflect His character and virtues. Familiar passages like Galatians 5:22-23, 1 John 4:8, Matthew 5:43-48, 2 Peter 1:3-11 provide additional language for our vision. Common themes include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The older Christian concept of “Heavenly Virtues” might also be valuable: prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance, faith, hope, and charity.

The Common Good: In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul describes a wide variety of gifts, services, and activities that the Spirit gives “for the common good.” This part of our vision can sometimes be understood as our calling or ministry or purpose (Rick Warren’s SHAPE concept is a good example). This part addresses the reason for God making us and placing us in His world and equipping us to fulfill His purpose in union and dependence on Him and others.

For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. Ephesians 2:10

Unique Knitting: These are the unique highlights of our Imago Dei. They come in a multitude of forms and functions, and they appear to be tied to our position and place in the world. We are equipped and gifted in special ways so that “everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work” (2Timothy 3:17). They are connected to our purpose, and they form the ‘what and how’ of our giftedness.

The Holy Spirit’s role is to give us the wisdom, understanding, craftsmanship, and artistry to fulfill our work as God desires and as we are designed.

Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.  3 “I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship. Exodus 31:1-5

We receive wisdom to know what needs to be done, understanding to know how to accomplish it, craftsmanship to do it well, and artistry to make our work graceful and pleasing.

“You will be most effective when you use your spiritual gifts and abilities in the area of your heart’s desire, and in a way that best expresses your personality and experiences.” (Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life)

We will also find in our unique knitting the special talents of mind, emotion, will, body, and relationships that can be found when we look at what we are good at. Various personality tools or learning styles, types of intelligences, and our individual passions, interests, skills, and abilities will add to this part of our vision.

Unique Circumstances and Experiences: God has readied us to be a blessing in the time and place He has selected for us and has made us in such a way that we can only fulfill our vision as we are with Him and within our Christian community. Our talents, skills, and abilities harmonize with those around us in complimentary ways.

The most significant contribution of this part of our vision is our family and dearest friends; those who have a place of importance and significance in our lives. Our vision should make room for how we are loving and caring for these people God has placed in our lives for us to care for.

The Journey Forward

This exercise of vision casting can be challenging as dark shadow narratives can fill our minds and feelings of self-loathing torment us. Our unhealed and sometimes festering wounds demand our attention and keep us from looking too far forward or too far inward. These impediments are part of the journey and should be addressed in parallel with the work of developing a vision.

Fear of venturing into the unknown without the comfort of our addiction can combine with anxiety, depression, lethargy, and apathy to keep us stuck or relapsing more than we are recovering. There is much that wants to keep us from pursuing this effort including:

the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:11b-12

 The role of the Christian counselor must also include and awareness and giftedness to address the spiritual forces that push against these efforts. Jesus teaches us how to be equipped to defeat the things that seek to keep us from him.

“It’s important to understand how this works and begin to take small steps. The first small step is to pay attention to Jesus Christ.”[2]

Jesus becomes the good shepherd on this journey and the promise of never leaving or forsaking us is life-giving and provides the protection we need. As the author and perfector of our faith we can trust that he is our friend and teacher. We need someone to pick us up when we fall and we need someone to instruct us how to build a vision and Jesus stands ready to be the teacher and friend we need.

“we have to provide people with a vision of life with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of God—a vision of who He is and where this world is going under Him—that we can become a part of.”[3]

Jesus helps us create a vision and gives us the grace to pursue it and the means we need in that pursuit. What he gives us as a vision for our life forms an unbreakable chain anchored in our future that we can grab ahold of as he pulls us into our hoped-for future. It is as if our future self stands with Jesus and we are reaching back to give ourselves a hand.

Vision is always future-based and hope-fueled. It needs ample amounts of grace, creativity, imagination, exploration, discovery, and resilience. The journey requires massive amounts of grace which God has in abundance and with every grace-fueled step our different kind of life can become increasingly real.  

If you would like to learn more please contact me directly or schedule a consultation.

[1] https://dwillard.org/resources/articles/resisting-the-twinkie

[2] ibid

[3] ibid