Pursue Wholeness

I recently started re-watching the show This Is Us. Anyone who knows me well knows that this show has been a favourite since it began back in 2016. My sister introduced me to it towards the end of 2016 and after watching the first two episodes, I was hooked. It was never a show I watched with Ceaser because he wasn’t interested back then, so I watched alone, pausing several times per episode to ask the Holy Spirit what His thoughts were on what was unfolding with each scene. Before long, it became our thing. God would show me so many things during our times of watching that show, so much so that I would sometimes replay an episode immediately after it had concluded, just so I could fully understand what He was showing me. I looked forward to this and with each episode came an expectation that God had something for me as we watched, even if it was just a good laugh. As I re-watch it, all the way back to season one, there are some distinct differences. This time I am watching it with Ceaser and Fredah as opposed to watching alone. This time my two beautiful children are asleep as opposed to me being heavily pregnant with Caleb. This time the conversations with the Holy Spirit come after, as opposed to during the show, with several pauses required. This time I am very different. This time I find myself watching the show from such a different vantage point, so very aware of each character’s brokenness and seeing parts of my own there. Not to say that I didn’t see this before, I just see it more clearly now because I see myself more clearly now. Five years, two kids and a little more life will do that to you.

“With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!” ~ Psalm 119:10

“Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NLT)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” ~2 Corinthians 5:17

I have this prayer I say often before God concerning my kids, “Lord, please help me reduce the instances my children will have to go to therapy because of something I did or didn’t do.” It has never been, “Lord, please help me make sure I’m not the reason my children need therapy.” It has never been that because I realise that this is not possible. It’s not possible because I am human and because they are too. It’s not possible because we live in a fallen world and because brokenness is a given. One of the lessons I picked out very strongly during my first go around with This Is Us, is the power of generations. The power of what is passed on by generations, to be more specific. Our brokenness is inherently passed on through generations but so is wholeness. Identifying areas of our brokenness coupled with a decision to pursue wholeness can change the game, not just for us but for generations to come. To be whole is to be in a complete and harmonious state; in one piece. Adam and Eve lost this complete and harmonious state and Jesus came, died and rose again to ensure we can regain access to it. Pursuing wholeness is a fight. We must be ready to fight armed with self-awareness, patience, wisdom and God’s Word, fully convinced that our comrade in this battle, the Holy Spirit, has our back every step of the way. Wholeness will look different for each of us, however, the pursuit of wholeness in the following ways will get us and keep us all on the right path.

Whole perspective

Perspective is everything. With a fractured perspective, everything we see is distorted. God wants us to seek after Him, spend more time with Him and allow Him to show us His perspective on things. The pursuit of wholeness in perspective is not a finished work, it is an ongoing journey with God. Your perspective will become whole to the degree that you are willing to open up to God. Consistently ask God the question, “What are your thoughts on this?” and see how He will point out certain things you never thought about, gently mending the fractures of your perspective. Seek to get God’s perspective on others, yourself and Him. Allow Him to highlight certain misconceptions, realigning your viewpoint so that you can see more clearly until our Lord Jesus comes again.

Whole thoughts

Our thoughts ultimately govern our lives. Broken and bruised patterns of thinking can be passed on from generation to generation creating out-of-sorts patterns desperately in need of God’s healing power. Our Heavenly Father is eager and willing to heal our thoughts, He is simply waiting for us to submit them to Him. Submitting our thoughts to God isn’t the easiest thing to do even when we know He already knows what we are thinking. There is something about saying out loud to Him in prayer that puts us on blast, making us uncomfortable and deceived into thinking that He judges us. On the contrary, God doesn’t judge us for our wrong or bad thoughts, He wants us to tell Him what we think so that He can show us a better way. I don’t know about you, but I have had times when I have said out loud what I am thinking about a certain situation or person and as soon as I say it out loud, I realise how absurd it sounds. In those moments, I can see things from God’s perspective not because I admit that I am wrong, but because I was open enough with Him to show even the parts I am not proud of.

Whole confessions

Changing our thoughts is the first step in a trifecta. The second is to pursue wholeness in our confessions. Sometimes when God is working on healing our thoughts, we jeopardise His work by running our mouths contrary. When we decide to pursue wholeness, we must take great care in what we say because we will have what we say. Be sure to speak by God’s Word over your situation, even though you can’t see it on the ground yet. As God begins the deep work of healing our souls, a change in our confessions will be a natural by-product that we have the power to give life to or choke out. What will you choose to do? Pay attention to what you say about things you are praying over, your confession can either be a key or a lock. 

Whole actions

The work of wholeness begins in the secret place with God, away from curious eyes and discouraging voices. This work is a participatory one, calling on you to pull your bootstraps up and get your hands dirty. On the outside, things may not look different at all, but in due season, sometimes long after God has moved on to a different area, something beautiful will break through the surface. In a situation where your previous default was one thing, you will do something completely different and those around you will notice. At that moment, you will share a smile with the Holy Spirit, a smile that no one else understands because they were not there when it was muddy and ugly. At that moment, you will know that the work was worth the fruit and as others enjoy that fruit, you will know that it will continue to reproduce in season, for generations to come.

Our wholeness was bought at a high price. It is available to us if we are willing to partner with God to pursue it. Decide to chase wholeness today, you will find as you do, that God’s working hands reach far beyond you to both generations past and generations to come.