Fall 2008
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Totomundo
[the whole world]
August-September
Vol. 1, Is. 3
Freedom, Opportunity, and Responsibility I have heard it called a “quarter-life crisis.” I still find the first three syllables of this phrase irredeemably flawed. They assume too much. They assume life after the crisis. Two years ago when I was in the crisis there was scarce expectation or even desire for 3 more quarters of such a life.
First of all, there is freedom: freedom from, and freedom to. The first, freedom from, is redemptive freedom, the release from sin and the curse. This includes freedom from living under the law, freedom from condemnation, and freedom from the fear of judgment (Romans 8:1-17). This freedom is accomplished for us in the cross of Christ.
It began as disillusionment. I had been clinging to expectations for my life that had no Important: it is His accomplishment and it foundation in reality. The rhythm of failure took has been accomplished (2 Cor. 5:14-16; Gal its toll; the fog rolled in and I was soon in a 2:15-16; Eph 2:8-9; Heb 10:12;). For years I had spinning world of uncertainty. Drenched in the staked my significance on my accomplishments, dread that my life was those completed and those insignificant and my endeavors “Because of the finished a n t i c i p a t e d . I f a i l e d t o f u l l y meaningless, I found myself work of Christ, man is understand the work of Christ. In face to face with the question Him there is no condemnation. My given freedom to be man that time and existence significance is secured in the relentlessly press on every in a way that he has not finished work of Christ and it is not man: “What am I doing and been since Genesis 3” augmented by accomplishment or why?” diminished by failure. An essential part of being human is our proclivity to plan (Prov. 16:1,9; 19:21), our substantial ability to actualize those plans (Gen 11:6; 41:33-49), and our expectations that our actions and our being should have significance (Gen 1:31; 1 Cor 3:13-15). Though man has and always will be finite, ever since the curse there are further limits (Gen 3) and ever since the fall, deeper failures (Gen 4). So to what end am I to employ these abilities and how am I to deal with the inevitable shortcomings, especially in regard to personal significance? Daily I am forced to this question, and I can find no satisfactory answer apart from three key Biblical concepts: freedom, opportunity, and responsibility. They all begin and end in Jesus.
This brings me to the second freedom: freedom to. Because of the finished work of Christ, man is given freedom to be man in a way that he has not been since Genesis 3 (John 10:10; Rom 6; 2 Cor 5:17-21; 1 Cor 10:31; Eph 2:8-10). For too long I have overlooked Genesis 1 and 2. Initially man, as the image bearer of God, brought glory to God by simply being man and living as man was created to live. This should include every exercise of our strength, thought, will, emotion, creativity, and any other aspect of our humanity (Deut 6:5; Mat 22:37; Mar 12:30; Luk 10:27).
[email protected]
continued on page 2
Totomundo
August-September Vol. 1 Is. 3
Freedom, Opportunity, and Responsibility cont. This is radical! When I make a cup of coffee I glorify God. When I mow my yard, I act according to His intention for me to steward His creation and He is glorified. My very existence and the whole of everyday life honors him (1 Cor 10:31) and is significant! Oh the opportunities! I do many of the things that I once did but both context and motivation have changed. Motivated by love for Christ, and with confidence that my significance is already secured in him, I now want to explore and pursue the opportunities to bring him glory that freedom to places before me. One particular way that I wish to do this is songwriting. Just writing a song brings God glory, but what other opportunities are there? What are the possibilities to glorify him further by creating new music styles? New stories in a song? By using a song to address a specific topic? How exciting!
lies….I sure am, and it has no simple answer. At the very least I know I must be an astute observer of the effect my song has on a listener. Am I affirming truth or fallacy (Matt 18:6; James 3:1; Gal. 1:9)? Am I crushing or affirming true humanity (Matt 23:4)? I am still discovering these boundaries, and I have found many of them only after having crossed them. Still, I can write my next song without fear of failure or the pressures of perfection because of the freedom from that is secured in Christ.
So I have freedom, opportunity and responsibility. Honestly, I forget all of this quite quickly, fall short in some endeavor, feel that my life is insignificant, and get depressed. “Just writing a I find that I must relentlessly remind song brings God myself of the full implications of the glory, but what finished work of Jesus. Then and only then can I address the constant other opportunities question: What am I doing and why?
are there?”
This bring me to responsibility. Our freedom is not autonomous, and God has revealed his will for the exercise of our freedom (Mic 6:8, Ex 20:1-17). This sets a boundary for our freedom and it is our responsibility to know (Deut 6:6-9,12; Hos 4:6) and live (Jos 1:8; Ecc 12:13-14) accordingly. If I make a cup of coffee I have done something within that boundary and it honors God. If I throw that coffee in my roommate’s face (even if he did use the last of my coffee creamer) then I have transgressed that boundary. Likewise, as a songwriter, I have a responsibility to write songs that do not transgress God’s boundary. At this point maybe you are asking yourself where that boundary
Why? My reason for action is my love and desire to bring Jesus glory, not to become significant. This is enabled and motivated by the freedom He secured for me on the cross. What? Any opportunity within the boundaries of responsibility that God has set, and I find that the limits I encounter most are not those of God’s law, but those of my own creativity... -Beau Bristow
Beau is a full-time independent musician and song-writer in Nashville, TN. He is a member at Grace Community Church and is also the leader of a very successful men's ministry house in Nashville. To learn more about Beau visit www.beaubristow.com
[email protected]
[the whole world]
August-September
Vol. 1, Is. 3
Freedom, Opportunity, and Responsibility I have heard it called a “quarter-life crisis.” I still find the first three syllables of this phrase irredeemably flawed. They assume too much. They assume life after the crisis. Two years ago when I was in the crisis there was scarce expectation or even desire for 3 more quarters of such a life.
First of all, there is freedom: freedom from, and freedom to. The first, freedom from, is redemptive freedom, the release from sin and the curse. This includes freedom from living under the law, freedom from condemnation, and freedom from the fear of judgment (Romans 8:1-17). This freedom is accomplished for us in the cross of Christ.
It began as disillusionment. I had been clinging to expectations for my life that had no Important: it is His accomplishment and it foundation in reality. The rhythm of failure took has been accomplished (2 Cor. 5:14-16; Gal its toll; the fog rolled in and I was soon in a 2:15-16; Eph 2:8-9; Heb 10:12;). For years I had spinning world of uncertainty. Drenched in the staked my significance on my accomplishments, dread that my life was those completed and those insignificant and my endeavors “Because of the finished a n t i c i p a t e d . I f a i l e d t o f u l l y meaningless, I found myself work of Christ, man is understand the work of Christ. In face to face with the question Him there is no condemnation. My given freedom to be man that time and existence significance is secured in the relentlessly press on every in a way that he has not finished work of Christ and it is not man: “What am I doing and been since Genesis 3” augmented by accomplishment or why?” diminished by failure. An essential part of being human is our proclivity to plan (Prov. 16:1,9; 19:21), our substantial ability to actualize those plans (Gen 11:6; 41:33-49), and our expectations that our actions and our being should have significance (Gen 1:31; 1 Cor 3:13-15). Though man has and always will be finite, ever since the curse there are further limits (Gen 3) and ever since the fall, deeper failures (Gen 4). So to what end am I to employ these abilities and how am I to deal with the inevitable shortcomings, especially in regard to personal significance? Daily I am forced to this question, and I can find no satisfactory answer apart from three key Biblical concepts: freedom, opportunity, and responsibility. They all begin and end in Jesus.
This brings me to the second freedom: freedom to. Because of the finished work of Christ, man is given freedom to be man in a way that he has not been since Genesis 3 (John 10:10; Rom 6; 2 Cor 5:17-21; 1 Cor 10:31; Eph 2:8-10). For too long I have overlooked Genesis 1 and 2. Initially man, as the image bearer of God, brought glory to God by simply being man and living as man was created to live. This should include every exercise of our strength, thought, will, emotion, creativity, and any other aspect of our humanity (Deut 6:5; Mat 22:37; Mar 12:30; Luk 10:27).
[email protected]
continued on page 2
Totomundo
August-September Vol. 1 Is. 3
Freedom, Opportunity, and Responsibility cont. This is radical! When I make a cup of coffee I glorify God. When I mow my yard, I act according to His intention for me to steward His creation and He is glorified. My very existence and the whole of everyday life honors him (1 Cor 10:31) and is significant! Oh the opportunities! I do many of the things that I once did but both context and motivation have changed. Motivated by love for Christ, and with confidence that my significance is already secured in him, I now want to explore and pursue the opportunities to bring him glory that freedom to places before me. One particular way that I wish to do this is songwriting. Just writing a song brings God glory, but what other opportunities are there? What are the possibilities to glorify him further by creating new music styles? New stories in a song? By using a song to address a specific topic? How exciting!
lies….I sure am, and it has no simple answer. At the very least I know I must be an astute observer of the effect my song has on a listener. Am I affirming truth or fallacy (Matt 18:6; James 3:1; Gal. 1:9)? Am I crushing or affirming true humanity (Matt 23:4)? I am still discovering these boundaries, and I have found many of them only after having crossed them. Still, I can write my next song without fear of failure or the pressures of perfection because of the freedom from that is secured in Christ.
So I have freedom, opportunity and responsibility. Honestly, I forget all of this quite quickly, fall short in some endeavor, feel that my life is insignificant, and get depressed. “Just writing a I find that I must relentlessly remind song brings God myself of the full implications of the glory, but what finished work of Jesus. Then and only then can I address the constant other opportunities question: What am I doing and why?
are there?”
This bring me to responsibility. Our freedom is not autonomous, and God has revealed his will for the exercise of our freedom (Mic 6:8, Ex 20:1-17). This sets a boundary for our freedom and it is our responsibility to know (Deut 6:6-9,12; Hos 4:6) and live (Jos 1:8; Ecc 12:13-14) accordingly. If I make a cup of coffee I have done something within that boundary and it honors God. If I throw that coffee in my roommate’s face (even if he did use the last of my coffee creamer) then I have transgressed that boundary. Likewise, as a songwriter, I have a responsibility to write songs that do not transgress God’s boundary. At this point maybe you are asking yourself where that boundary
Why? My reason for action is my love and desire to bring Jesus glory, not to become significant. This is enabled and motivated by the freedom He secured for me on the cross. What? Any opportunity within the boundaries of responsibility that God has set, and I find that the limits I encounter most are not those of God’s law, but those of my own creativity... -Beau Bristow
Beau is a full-time independent musician and song-writer in Nashville, TN. He is a member at Grace Community Church and is also the leader of a very successful men's ministry house in Nashville. To learn more about Beau visit www.beaubristow.com
[email protected]
