Identifying and Overcoming Our Shadow Missions

 

Summary

In our journey through life, we often encounter the concept of a "shadow mission," a term that refers to the subtle, often unnoticed ways we deviate from our true purpose. This idea is vividly illustrated in the story of Samson from the Book of Judges. Samson was destined to be a Nazarite, dedicated to God, and tasked with delivering Israel from the Philistines. However, his life became a cautionary tale of how easily one can be led astray by personal desires and impulses. Samson's shadow mission was to use his God-given strength for self-gratification rather than fulfilling his divine purpose.

The Book of Judges itself reflects the shadow mission of Israel, a nation meant to be a beacon of God's righteousness but often falling into cycles of disobedience and complacency. This pattern of behavior is not unique to ancient Israel; it is a human tendency that persists today. We are all susceptible to shadow missions, which may not be entirely wrong but are just enough off course to prevent us from becoming the people God intended us to be.

To combat this, we must first identify our shadow missions. This requires honesty and introspection, and sometimes the courage to ask others for their insights. Like David, who had Nathan to guide him back to the right path, we need people in our lives who can speak truth to us. Samson lacked such guidance, and his story ended in tragedy.

Even Jesus faced the temptation of a shadow mission. In the wilderness, He was tempted to fulfill His role as Messiah without suffering. Yet, He chose the path of the cross, demonstrating that true purpose often involves sacrifice. In the shadow of the cross, our shadow missions lose their power, and the light of the world shines through.

Today, I invite you to name your shadow mission and share it with someone you trust. By doing so, you begin to break its hold over you. Remember, you are not alone in this journey. Stretch out your hand, and let the light of Christ guide you back to your true mission.

Key Takeaways:

1. Understanding Shadow Missions: A shadow mission is a subtle deviation from our true purpose, often driven by personal desires and impulses. It can lead us away from becoming the person God intended us to be. Identifying and confronting our shadow missions is crucial for spiritual growth. [06:16]

2. The Cycle of Disobedience: The Book of Judges illustrates Israel's shadow mission, a cycle of disobedience and complacency. This pattern is a reminder of our human tendency to stray from God's path, emphasizing the need for vigilance and repentance. [03:31]

3. The Importance of Community: Like David, who had Nathan to guide him, we need people in our lives who can speak truth to us and help us identify our shadow missions. Samson's lack of such guidance led to his downfall, highlighting the importance of community and accountability. [08:58]

4. Jesus and the Shadow Mission: Even Jesus faced the temptation of a shadow mission, to be the Messiah without suffering. His choice to embrace the cross teaches us that true purpose often involves sacrifice and that our shadow missions are defeated in the shadow of the cross. [11:51]

5. Breaking the Power of Shadow Missions: Naming and sharing our shadow missions with others can break their hold over us. By bringing them to the foot of the cross, we allow the light of Christ to guide us back to our true mission. [12:10]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:36] - Introduction to Shadow Missions
- [01:17] - The Concept of a Shadow Mission
- [02:19] - Personal Reflection on Shadow Missions
- [03:05] - Israel's Shadow Mission
- [03:42] - Samson's Mission and Downfall
- [04:27] - Samson's Treatment of Women
- [05:12] - Samson's Betrayal and Death
- [06:01] - Identifying Your Shadow Mission
- [07:10] - Personal Story of a Shadow Mission
- [08:15] - The Shadow Mission of Organizations
- [09:14] - The Role of Community
- [10:27] - Jesus' Temptation and Shadow Mission
- [11:51] - Defeating Shadow Missions
- [12:24] - Conclusion and Invitation

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Understanding and Overcoming Shadow Missions

Bible Reading:
1. Judges 13:1-5 - The birth and mission of Samson.
2. Judges 16:17-30 - Samson's betrayal and downfall.
3. Matthew 4:1-11 - Jesus' temptation in the wilderness.

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Observation Questions:

1. What was the specific mission given to Samson before his birth, and how did he deviate from it? (Judges 13:1-5, [03:55])

2. How does the Book of Judges illustrate the cycle of disobedience and complacency in Israel? ([03:31])

3. What were the temptations Jesus faced in the wilderness, and how did He respond to them? (Matthew 4:1-11, [10:41])

4. How did Samson's personal desires and impulses contribute to his downfall? ([05:43])

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Interpretation Questions:

1. In what ways does the story of Samson serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of pursuing a shadow mission? ([05:43])

2. How does the cycle of disobedience in the Book of Judges reflect human tendencies today? ([03:31])

3. What can we learn from Jesus' response to His temptations about overcoming our own shadow missions? ([11:18])

4. How does having a community or a "Nathan" in our lives help us stay true to our God-given mission? ([08:58])

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your own life. Can you identify a shadow mission that has subtly deviated you from your true purpose? How can you begin to address it? ([06:16])

2. Consider the role of community in your life. Do you have someone who can speak truth to you like Nathan did for David? If not, how can you seek out such relationships? ([08:58])

3. Jesus chose the path of the cross despite the temptation to avoid suffering. What sacrifices might you need to make to stay true to your mission? ([11:51])

4. How can you actively combat complacency and disobedience in your spiritual journey, as illustrated by the cycle in the Book of Judges? ([03:31])

5. Think about a time when personal desires led you away from your purpose. What steps can you take to prevent this from happening again? ([05:43])

6. How can you bring your shadow mission to the foot of the cross and allow the light of Christ to guide you back to your true mission? ([12:10])

7. Identify one specific action you can take this week to align more closely with your God-given mission. How will you hold yourself accountable to this action? ([10:15])

Devotional

Day 1: Recognizing the Subtle Deviations in Our Purpose
Understanding shadow missions involves recognizing the subtle deviations from our true purpose, often driven by personal desires and impulses. These deviations can lead us away from becoming the person God intended us to be. Identifying and confronting our shadow missions is crucial for spiritual growth. Just as Samson used his God-given strength for self-gratification rather than fulfilling his divine purpose, we too can be led astray by our own desires. It is essential to be vigilant and introspective, seeking to align our actions with our true mission. [06:16]

"For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor." (Galatians 6:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: What personal desires or impulses might be subtly leading you away from your true purpose? How can you begin to realign your actions with your divine mission today?


Day 2: Breaking the Cycle of Disobedience
The Book of Judges illustrates Israel's shadow mission, a cycle of disobedience and complacency. This pattern serves as a reminder of our human tendency to stray from God's path, emphasizing the need for vigilance and repentance. Like Israel, we can fall into cycles of behavior that keep us from fulfilling our true purpose. Recognizing these patterns and actively seeking to break them is essential for spiritual growth and alignment with God's will. [03:31]

"But they did not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God." (2 Kings 17:14, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a recurring pattern of disobedience in your life. What steps can you take today to break this cycle and return to God's path?


Day 3: The Role of Community in Guiding Us
Community plays a vital role in helping us identify and overcome our shadow missions. Like David, who had Nathan to guide him, we need people in our lives who can speak truth to us. Samson's lack of such guidance led to his downfall, highlighting the importance of community and accountability. Having trusted individuals who can provide honest feedback and support is crucial for staying on the right path and fulfilling our true purpose. [08:58]

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

Reflection: Who in your life can you trust to speak truth to you about your shadow missions? How can you cultivate a deeper relationship with them for mutual accountability?


Day 4: Embracing Sacrifice to Fulfill Our True Purpose
Even Jesus faced the temptation of a shadow mission, to be the Messiah without suffering. His choice to embrace the cross teaches us that true purpose often involves sacrifice. In the shadow of the cross, our shadow missions lose their power, and the light of the world shines through. Embracing sacrifice and choosing the path of true purpose, even when it is difficult, aligns us with God's will and brings us closer to fulfilling our divine mission. [11:51]

"And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:8, ESV)

Reflection: What sacrifices might God be calling you to make in order to fulfill your true purpose? How can you begin to embrace these sacrifices today?


Day 5: Breaking the Power of Shadow Missions
Naming and sharing our shadow missions with others can break their hold over us. By bringing them to the foot of the cross, we allow the light of Christ to guide us back to our true mission. This act of vulnerability and openness is a powerful step towards spiritual growth and alignment with God's will. As we share our struggles and seek support, we find strength in community and the transformative power of Christ's love. [12:10]

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." (James 5:16, ESV)

Reflection: What shadow mission do you need to name and share with someone you trust? How can you take a step today to bring it to the foot of the cross and seek guidance?

Quotes


"regrets I've thought and talked about this topic before the shadow Mission but what I want to do today that's a bit different is actually appli it to Samson who is I think really perhaps the poster boy for it let me tell you why I first ran across the phrase many years ago I was invited to go to a therapeutic Retreat it was very unusual I will not describe it but in one of the sessions one of the guys was talking about this idea and he said that you know we all have a Shadow Self you and I in The Fellowship of the withered hand where we face up to our inadequacy and weakness and Brokenness and fallenness will recognize that sin is my ego my selfishness my clutch my grasp whatever forms that will take willingness to do wrong just like you have a Shadow Self he said we're all meant to have a mission to have a purpose in life to devote our time to do something larger than ourselves but if we don't do that our life will devolve into what he called a shadow Mission using our time and our energy and our one and only life for something that's not worth worth it that is ignoble that will drag us down." [00:24:07]

"so I want to ask you how to begin to think about what is your Shadow Mission come back to that with Samson we know what it is uh the Book of Judges is such a fascinating book it's really kind of about the shadow mission of Israel Israel was made to be set apart for God God says to Abraham I will bless you to be a blessing through the whole earth and that will require becoming a certain kind of person there was no God understood in the ancient world that cared about goodness and righteousness and care for the orphan and the Widow and truth and so the way that this God of Israel did and that people would live in his way mattered so much but Israel didn't just like we don't human beings don't so there's this cycle where they don't obey God they do what evil and so judgment and suffering comes and then they cry out to God and then graciously he sends a deliverer a judge and they're delivered and then things are okay and they get complacent and then it just keeps going on and it's getting worse and worse by the time we hit Samson the Israelites chapter 13 were delivered into the hands of the Philistines for 40 years that's more than twice as long as they had been subject to oppression and suffering up to this point so there's like a spiral going down and God brings Samson along." [00:163:87]

"and we are given his mission from before he is born he's going to be a Nazarite these vows will remind him of his dedication to the Lord and he has this glorious Mission he will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines um very interestingly in that o opening section this mission is actually delivered to his mom and she's the one that clarifies it she is a woman that God elevates at the beginning of his story but his treatment of women is a deep part of his shadow Mission and by the time he grows up first thing we see is Samson went down to timna that little phrase occurs over and over in the account of Samson he is going down not just geographically but spiritually and he finds a woman uh who is one of the Philistines who will lead him away from God who's part of the people that worship a false god who I mean they're kind of the equivalence to Israel of like Nazis that just want to destroy them and Samson is supposed to be their deliverer and he just keeps sinking farther and farther and farther breaks all three of the vows that he was supposed to have as an asz right but the timing is with the the very very poignant verse when he tells her about uh the truth of his background he says for I am a Nazarite a razor has never touched my head I was dedicated to God from birth uh but he's betrayed everything dies in a very uh violent very ambiguous there's a victory for Israel in it but uh death comes to himself really really sad end his shadow mission was to use his gifts his strength his power to gratify his own IM impulses and appetites rather than to serve God." [00:243:28]

"so now I want to ask you what is your Shadow Mission very often with a shadow Mission it's not like 180 degrees in the wrong direction Samson is still fighting the Philistines but so much of himself his own anger and impulse stuff is in there your Shadow Mission will just get you off course enough so that you never become the person God wanted you to be I I love to communicate and to speak I started doing that when I was quite Young when I was 12 years old or so there was an article about me in the newspaper in Rockford where I grew up that was not terribly surprising you may know I had three uncles on my mom's side hack Jack and Mack true story and they all worked at the newspaper in Rockford as did my grandfather hack senior so in our family getting in the newspaper no big deal but the article about me i' had spoken somewhere was talkative boy wins a claim and I'll tell you uh I've often had uh involvement in exercises trying to figure out what my mission is often found it hard to summarize I've known my shadow Mission since I was 12 years old talkative boy wins a claim use whatever gifts I might have to try to make people go like this and I I fought that and fight that my whole life long Shadow missions are that way." [00:361:96]

"organizations have Shadow missions I served at meno Church meno is in the heart of Silicon Valley close connections with Stanford Walt Gerber was the senior pastor there before me and there's lot of venture capital people Highly Educated folks that would go to that church Walt used to say very tongue and Chic a successful church for successful people and God help us you know in The Fellowship of the withered hand sometimes churches can just become a successful church for Successful People you know for Israel they were blessed to be a blessing but the shadow mission is um I I I would like to be blessed but I don't want to have to be a blessing so now I want to ask you to identify what is your Shadow Mission if you do not pursue the purpose the path that God has for you you don't have to have some kind of fancy statement about it you know it is be a blessing to other people love other people be generous use the gifts you have to be helpful to others if you don't do that what's going to pull you in the wrong direction now be honest about this it's interesting um David also had a shadow Mission what saved David was he had Nathan and Nathan came along when David was way down the wrong road Thou Art The Man David this is you David came back and went a different direction Samson had nobody Samson by the end of his his life nobody in Israel that we know is connected with him no Prophet is speaking truth to him just Delila she's not going to tell him the truth who in your life is your Nathan you know I have a few people in my life where I've asked him would you help me to identify what my shadow mission is and tell me when I'm going down the wrong road would you love me that much so now I'm asking you my friend in The Fellowship of the withered hand what's your Shadow mission may maybe it's money money for a lot of people maybe it's security maybe you find yourself comparing yourself to somebody else and think I got to use my gifts my uh attractiveness my whatever to outshine that person maybe it's just approval what a dumb thing to live for but we do just try to get more likes maybe it's success maybe it's anger there's people that just live to try to get even with somebody maybe it's be right you can be right it's not a bad thing to be right till we start using it to hurt somebody and now the invitation is uh today to name that shadow Mission identify yourself if you're not sure ask God if you're not sure and you're brave ask somebody else who knows you really well what's my shadow Mission and then bring it to the foot of the cross because Jesus knows all about Shadow missions I believe that this is true I believe that Jesus who fully became a human being had a shadow Mission himself and we see it running through his life the beginning of his ministry goes into the Wilderness and the tempter says to him turn these stones into bread uh you can be the Messiah you don't have to be hungry cast yourself down from the Pinnacle you're the Messiah you you don't have to get hurt bow down and receive all the kingdoms of the world you're the Messiah you can have agulation you don't have anybody opposing you you don't Have To Be An Enemy of the State and then a little later on on the Mount of transfiguration when Peter tells him what his true identity is Jesus says yes and I'm going to have to go to the Cross I'm going to have to suffer many things he no no no not you you're the Messiah you don't have to suffer remember Jesus's response get behind me Satan he knows where this temptation is coming from and he wrestles with it deeply all the way to the Gard of Gethsemane right before the very end where he says to his father if it's possible let this cup pass from me see I think his sha I think Jesus's Shadow mission was you can be the Messiah without suffering I don't know why for some reason suffering is at the heart of everything including the Redemption of you and me and every shadow Mission Finds Its defeat in the shadow of the cross in that shadow the light of the world shines so your job today get really honest best you can tell name your Shadow Mission and then tell one other person about it so that its power over you can be broken a little bit you can do this you can do this stretch out your hand." [00:444:47]

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Transcript
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