Personal Constitution ~ GregJ

Should you write a “Personal Constitution”? This is a potentially rewarding—and potentially obsessive—practice of listing your values, ambitions, and practices.  On first pass such a list will be inaccurate—too conceited, too modest, just ignorant.  After several passes and amendments, my own list became too wordy.  It remained useless until I boiled it down to two primary practices of two words each.
 
“A doctor who treats himself has a fool for a patient” (Dr. William Osler). “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit." (Philippians 2) Start quietly, but don't finish your personal constitution in isolation. Instead, consider that sharing and refining personal constitutions can help the individuals involved and the community of Christ! Decades ago, around once a year, believers I knew shared perceptions concerning one another.  I remember being completely surprised at good things and deplorable things other people saw in me. Such confrontation encouraged us to discern and to develop “the better angels of our nature.” Here in February—between New Year resolutions, reviewing finances and taxes, spring cleaning, and daily news involving the national constitution—right now is as good a time as any to begin. Effort now is an investment that can grow to help you and others rationally face life’s persistent questions.

• “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” (2 Corinthians 13)
  
• “You can see the speck in your friend's eye, but you don't notice the log in your own eye.” (Luke 6)
• “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17)
• “Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.” (1 Samuel 16)
• “God has treated me with undeserved grace, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you. A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. That's how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another. God has also given each of us different gifts to use....” (Romans 12)
• “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4)

In a previous post I cautioned concerning psych self-assessments and the Christianized versions, Spiritual Gifts Inventories. Too often these quizzes are not used as collaborative tools to build coworker communities. In isolation they become mirrors to confirm vanity, self-loathing, or sloth.

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“Personal Constitution” is the term Peter Covey floated in his 1989 business-oriented best-seller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  The practice of forming such a mission statement, credo, prime directive, philosophy, or rule of life is far from new. In subsequent posts I'll link to diverse personal constitutions from such eminents as Socrates, Confucius, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Jonathan Edwards, the Wesley brothers, Ignatius of Loyola, and others.

Besides constructing your motto, be aware of Biblical statements of purpose, including:

• “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua
• “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” Jesus. Also: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” And: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
• “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Paul. Also: “My purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.”

• “All I know is that I used to be blind, but now I can see!” That guy in John chapter 9

I advocate putting in both introspection and discussion with friends that will lead to you recognizing your values, ambitions, and principles; finding perhaps your “Life Verse”, and certainly your individual spiritual gift or gifts. Again! Your spiritual gift is not so much an ability given you. Your spiritual gift is you yourself given to the church. Thus, discovery is not just a matter of pondering and conversing. Discovery includes introspection, extrospection, patiently doing, sometimes failing, and persisting in faith, hope, and love. I urge that such efforts to consolidate your values, goals, and practices do not displace your compassion, attention, and gratitude. Keep on appreciating God and the specific principles he has given his people. “Your word is a light for my feet and a light on my path.” (Psalm 119)