Choosing Well: Seeing Beyond the Surface

 

Summary

The ability to choose is one of the greatest gifts we have been given. It allows us to direct our lives intentionally rather than living on autopilot. Too often, we fall into the trap of automatic living, missing out on the potential of who we could become. This series, "Choosing Well," aims to help us identify those pivotal moments where our decisions can lead to significant personal transformation with God's help. Our guide in this journey is Paul Tournier, a Swiss physician known for his profound influence on Christian thought and his unique approach to healing.

Paul Tournier's life was marked by early loss and a sense of being unloved, yet he found redemption in his wounds, using them to connect deeply with others. He joined the Oxford Group, which later influenced the creation of Alcoholics Anonymous, and dedicated his life to understanding the true essence of people beyond their superficial personas. Tournier believed that healing occurred when he engaged with people on a personal level, seeking to understand their true selves and bringing them into God's presence.

The core of Tournier's philosophy is the distinction between the person and the persona. We often judge others based on external attributes like appearance, age, or social status, but beneath these lies a person of immense worth to God. Tournier's ability to see and communicate this value to others was transformative. He challenged us to look beyond the surface and see people as God sees them.

In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul the Apostle encourages us to regard no one according to the flesh but to see them through the lens of Jesus. This perspective allows us to recognize the inherent value in every individual. A story shared about a teacher who saw potential in a troubled student illustrates the power of seeing beyond the facade to the person God created. This choice to see others as God does can change lives, including our own.

As we go about our daily lives, we encounter countless individuals made by God and loved by Him. Let us choose wisely to see them as He does, recognizing their worth and potential. May we be known as people who see and communicate value, who are generous and loving, reflecting God's heart to the world.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Gift of Choice: We have the profound ability to choose the direction of our lives, yet often live on autopilot, missing opportunities for growth and transformation. Recognizing and embracing this gift can lead to significant personal change with God's guidance. [00:25]

2. Redemption Through Wounds: Our wounds and scars can be redeemed by God and used to connect with others. Paul Tournier's life exemplifies how personal pain can lead to deeper empathy and understanding, fostering genuine relationships. [02:40]

3. Seeing Beyond the Persona: We often judge others based on superficial attributes, but true value lies beneath. Paul Tournier's approach teaches us to look beyond appearances and see the person God created, which can transform both our lives and theirs. [06:02]

4. Regard No One According to the Flesh: Inspired by 2 Corinthians 5, we are called to see others through the lens of Jesus, recognizing their inherent worth and potential. This perspective shifts our interactions and relationships, aligning them with God's heart. [07:37]

5. The Power of Seeing Potential: A single person who sees and speaks to the potential in another can change a life. The story of a teacher who believed in a troubled student illustrates the transformative power of recognizing and affirming the person beneath the facade. [10:04]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:25] - The Gift of Choice
- [00:39] - Living on Autopilot
- [01:08] - Introducing Paul Tournier
- [01:35] - Tournier's Early Life
- [02:16] - Redemption Through Wounds
- [03:08] - Influence of the Oxford Group
- [03:49] - Tournier's Unique Approach to Healing
- [04:14] - The Meaning of Persons
- [05:07] - Discovering the True Self
- [06:02] - Seeing Beyond the Persona
- [07:37] - Biblical Perspective on Seeing Others
- [08:35] - Story of Transformation
- [10:04] - The Power of Seeing Potential
- [11:33] - Conclusion and Call to Action

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: "Choosing Well"

Bible Reading:
- 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (NIV): "So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"

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Observation Questions:

1. What does Paul Tournier mean by "automatic lives," and how does this concept relate to the idea of living on autopilot? [00:39]

2. How did Paul Tournier's early life experiences shape his approach to understanding and valuing people? [02:16]

3. According to the sermon, what is the difference between a "person" and a "persona," and why is this distinction important? [06:02]

4. How does the story of the teacher and the troubled student illustrate the power of seeing potential in others? [10:04]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. In 2 Corinthians 5:16-17, Paul talks about regarding no one from a worldly point of view. How does this perspective align with Tournier's philosophy of seeing beyond the persona? [07:37]

2. How might Tournier's belief in redemption through wounds challenge or support traditional views of healing and empathy? [02:40]

3. What implications does the ability to choose have on personal transformation, according to the sermon? How does this relate to the concept of living intentionally? [00:25]

4. How does the sermon suggest that seeing others as God does can transform our relationships and interactions? [08:21]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you lived on autopilot. What specific steps can you take to live more intentionally and make conscious choices in your daily life? [00:39]

2. Consider a personal wound or scar. How might God be calling you to use this experience to connect with and support others? [02:40]

3. Identify someone in your life whom you tend to judge based on superficial attributes. How can you begin to see and affirm their true worth as God does? [06:02]

4. Think about a person who has seen potential in you and made a positive impact on your life. How can you be that person for someone else this week? [10:04]

5. How can you incorporate the practice of seeing others through the lens of Jesus into your daily interactions? What changes might this require in your attitude or behavior? [07:37]

6. What is one specific area of your life where you feel God is calling you to make a choice that could lead to personal transformation? How can you seek His guidance in this decision? [00:25]

7. How can you cultivate a habit of recognizing and communicating the value of others in your community, workplace, or family? [11:04]

Devotional

Day 1: Embrace the Power of Choice
The ability to choose is a profound gift that allows us to intentionally direct our lives rather than living on autopilot. Too often, we fall into the trap of automatic living, missing out on the potential of who we could become. By recognizing and embracing this gift, we open ourselves to significant personal change with God's guidance. This intentional living requires us to be aware of the pivotal moments where our decisions can lead to transformation. [00:25]

"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." (Galatians 5:13, ESV)

Reflection: What is one decision you can make today to intentionally align your life more closely with God's purpose for you?


Day 2: Redemption in Our Wounds
Our wounds and scars can be redeemed by God and used to connect with others. Paul Tournier's life exemplifies how personal pain can lead to deeper empathy and understanding, fostering genuine relationships. By allowing God to redeem our wounds, we can find purpose in our pain and use it to build meaningful connections with those around us. This redemption process not only heals us but also enables us to be a source of healing for others. [02:40]

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (Psalm 147:3, ESV)

Reflection: Consider a wound or scar in your life. How might God be calling you to use it to connect with and support someone else today?


Day 3: Seeing Beyond the Surface
We often judge others based on superficial attributes, but true value lies beneath. Paul Tournier's approach teaches us to look beyond appearances and see the person God created, which can transform both our lives and theirs. By choosing to see others as God does, we can communicate their inherent worth and potential, fostering deeper and more authentic relationships. This perspective challenges us to move beyond judgment and embrace a more compassionate and understanding view of those around us. [06:02]

"But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.'" (1 Samuel 16:7, ESV)

Reflection: Think of someone you encounter regularly. How can you intentionally look beyond their outward appearance to see their true worth and potential today?


Day 4: Seeing Through the Lens of Jesus
Inspired by 2 Corinthians 5, we are called to see others through the lens of Jesus, recognizing their inherent worth and potential. This perspective shifts our interactions and relationships, aligning them with God's heart. By choosing to regard no one according to the flesh, we open ourselves to the transformative power of seeing others as God sees them. This choice not only changes how we view others but also how we engage with the world around us. [07:37]

"From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer." (2 Corinthians 5:16, ESV)

Reflection: How can you practice seeing someone in your life through the lens of Jesus today, recognizing their God-given worth and potential?


Day 5: The Transformative Power of Belief
A single person who sees and speaks to the potential in another can change a life. The story of a teacher who believed in a troubled student illustrates the transformative power of recognizing and affirming the person beneath the facade. By choosing to see and speak to the potential in others, we can be catalysts for change and growth in their lives. This choice requires us to be intentional in our interactions, seeking to uplift and encourage those around us. [10:04]

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life needs encouragement today? How can you intentionally speak to their potential and support their growth?

Quotes


a great gift maybe the greatest gift you have ever been given is the ability to choose to say yes or no to decide my life will go in this direction or will go in that direction and yet far too often we live what the swiss physician paul ternier called automatic lives running on default autopilot [00:16:57]

the man that i might have become all of that just gets lost because i'm just not because i choose to go the wrong direction i just live on autopilot so we're gonna do a series now called choosing well to be able to locate where are those places in my life that i might make a decision that might really have impact [01:03:68]

one of the things that we're learning together in the fellowship of the withered hand is that our wounds our scars my inability to do it on my own becomes something that can be redeemed by god and used by god in my life with other people and my relationship with you and paul ternier found this [02:35:84]

although turnier became a doctor what he discovered was somehow when he met with people when he would become interested in them and try to understand who they actually were healing took place that was actually greater more profound more mysterious than when they were offered pills or surgery [03:41:12]

the great question in life is who am i really myself it is a question whence haunts each one of us whether we are aware of it or not it is there in every consultation i give it is there for the person who comes to see me and for me as well this frank and living contact with people [04:18:40]

the majority of those who come to see me have made up their minds to reveal themselves to me more openly than they ever have revealed themselves before they tell me things they have never dared to tell anyone else it's not just them that i must try to discover but the human person in each of them [05:07:19]

as i walk through the day as you walk through the day look for the person that human being of great worth to god underneath all of the masks and the superficiality of human appearances in his book the meaning of persons paul talks about the difference between the person and what we might call the persona [05:38:56]

the choice today the decision that you and i have to make is when i see other people will i look beyond what is superficial and see the person that god prices underneath them when paul's writing to the church at corinth in 2nd corinthians chapter 5 he says he writes to help them have an answer for people [07:20:16]

once i regarded christ in this way but but now i won't look at anybody in this way i will now look at everybody through the lens of jesus through which god sees the great value and worth of every human being i had lunch yesterday with a friend ehrman and he told me his quite remarkable story [08:17:44]

single teacher who looked at him and saw the person underneath the persona underneath that cocky foolish brazen i just want to make everybody laugh i want to go down the wrong roads i want to be a rebel the person who saw what god and spoke to that person changed his life [10:04:08]

all day long we come in contact with human beings who were made by god for whom jesus died choose really wisely choose really well today god would you help me when i look at people not just gays on the surface not just say oh this one is important or attractive or potentially useful [10:36:32]

i could be a person who sees other human beings the way that god does when i get to the end of my life other people might say about me that i looked into them and i saw worth and i communicated value and i was generous and i gave i know i know i know that's what i want god help me [11:11:28]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?