Friday, September 30, 2016

A Life In Balance, Part 1—Personal Balance



A balanced life is a healthy life. I don't claim to have it all together, but I do know that true health, satisfaction and contentment will only come through a serious, daily relationship with and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. As I say in the introduction below, Scripture is the place where anyone can find a guide for balanced living, and it isn't a secret—it's out in the open for all to see, to obey and to enjoy! Knowing the truth about ourselves, according to God's perspective, can be liberating. 

I desire balance for my own life, and I know you, my friends, do too. Thanks again for reading.

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A LIFE IN BALANCE, PART 1

Personal Balance



Introduction

            Balance in life and ministry is what God intends for His children. In the day-to-day struggle to pay bills, stay healthy, maintain a close relationship with God, family, and with others, balance can be a daunting objective. One way to measure a person’s life balance is to compare it with what the Bible demonstrates as a successful, well-adjusted life (Prov. 11:1; Eph. 5:15; 3 Jn. 1:2; 1 Pet. 5:8; 1 Jn. 1:4).
            This piece will focus on balance that Christians must discover, practice and teach in the church and in their daily lives. Balance must be practiced in one’s personal life before he or she can teach and lead within a faith community. It takes balance to be spiritually fruitful; with one piece missing—worship, service or spiritual formation—ministry will be unstable, and a minister, or any believer, for that matter, will be unstable in the Body of Christ.

Personal Balance

The highest life goal for a Christian is to live a gospel-centered life, to see oneself through the eyes of Christ and not through the world’s perspective. Every human is flawed, but the good news is that through Christ’s redemption, one is free to live as a child of God, not an orphan. To discover one’s God-purpose in life is a great gift that transforms a person from being a wandering soul into having an eternally secure bond with the Creator, continually discovering the journey that God has purposed for them to follow. Gary Barkalow, an expert on life purpose, says that to navigate one’s calling, believers must constantly be “triangulating”—like a GPS system, which utilizes three satellites in space as separate reference points to determine an object’s location. These three reference points, in relation to personal balance, can be referred to as a person’s story, desire, and journey.[1]   
One’s story—or history—is a point of reference for finding purpose, and it rests in a person’s personality, ability, talent, etc. Desire is also a valuable clue to purpose: the longings one has drives them toward a goal that, with the transforming presence of God, may take time and understanding to fully discern. Barkalow describes the third reference point, journey, as:
…a process, a progression, a journey that all people must take in becoming who they truly are and in recognizing the role they are to play. And we must remember, as essential and powerful as these reference points are, beyond them there are things that only God can reveal about our lives.[2] 

Casting a personal vision can be a bit painful as one surveys the dark side of his or her life— peering into areas that are vulnerable; where the possibility of mistakes are made because of unresolved emotional challenges, hidden struggles and needs. Conflicts in leadership and in personal life may come from a person’s own feelings of being hurt, through apparent rejection, or not receiving proper attention or respect, etc. Leadership experts Gary McIntosh and Sam Rima observe, ”[Life challenges] often become areas of conflict because they touch some raw nerve within the leader’s dark side.”[3] Abraham Lincoln once said, “All human beings have their weaknesses, but not all of us realize them, come to grips with them, or offset their negative impact. As a group whose primary endeavor is interacting with other people, leaders must accomplish the paradoxical task of managing their darker sides.”[4] Organizational guru, Mark Freeman, suggests each leader (and person) practice self-observation. He says the groundwork for personal transformation “lies in developing awareness into our behavior and its causes. It is important to determine when, why and under what conditions we use certain behaviors.”[5] The greatest move forward in this journey of self-discovery is in embracing the gospel-centered view of life, where Christ is predominant—to live as a child of God and not as an orphan.[6]

Physical Balance

Discontent can lead a person out of stagnation and into a hopeful future. On the other hand, it may lead one into ruin. For instance, advertisers use discontent to entice consumers into purchasing merchandise. But discontent can also lead a person to make important life changes—maybe wise health choices in response to poor habits and their consequences that have crept in over the years.
Mama birds pull the fur lining of the comfortable nest away so the prickly sticks (realities) are exposed. This way the discomfort forces the baby eagles to move away from their comfy home. It oftentimes takes a certain kind of nudge to wake the unhealthy to ultimately fitfully fly. One’s health, career, relationship with God, family and friends all deserve full, robust attention, and a wakeup call made by consequences is often necessary to get a person back into a healthy regime of good eating, proper rest and exercise. Without proper attention to one’s body—the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6:19)—life may become out of balance. As a student, minister, husband, father and grandfather, there are many people hoping that I will remain healthy. This would include healthy eating, walking an hour, three days per week, getting at least eight hours of sleep per night, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding anger, worry, and stress.

Psychological/ Emotional Balance

Balance for the mind and heart are anchored in how well one knows and practices the truth about him or herself—a constant aim to live within the Truth of the Word of God. Knowing the truth about oneself, especially in relation to God through Scripture, will help focus one’s life upon the eternity (Jn. 8:32). There are certain areas of life, concurs author David Seamands, which need special care and healing by the Holy Spirit. These challenges are not subject to routine prayer, self-control, or resolve. Seamands explained, “[These areas] need a special kind of understanding, an unlearning of past wrong programming, and a relearning and reprogramming transformation by the renewal of our minds. And this is not done overnight by a crisis experience.”[7]
Each person must take responsibility for his or her own actions, which when fully embraced will eventually bring freedom. But bondage comes from giving liability away.[8]   In Galatians 6:5-15, Paul says that to take responsibility for one’s own life means to be trained toward a “self-sufficient maturity,” to be generous, to especially serve those in one’s own community of faith, to be confident in God, and to take part in what He is doing in the earth. Being lazy and looking for a handout is certainly not what Paul described as being responsible.

Spiritual Balance

The pillars of spiritual balance are worship, service, and spiritual formationGod commands all the earth to worship Him, which is the first pillar of spiritual balance (Ex. 20:4; Matt. 22:34-40). Worship is to be practiced both personally and corporately. “It’s one thing to worship and praise God at church,” writes devotional author Dave Branon, “ [but] it’s quite another to move out into the real world and worship Him through daily obedience” (1 Sam. 15:22).[9] One’s worship should not be limited to times and places, but it should be practiced everywhere, all the time—24/7.[10] Balance in life means that one wholeheartedly worships God (Ps. 95).
            The second pillar of spiritual balance is service. In a recent movie, an effectual hotel bellboy served his patrons with this in mind: “A lobby boy is completely invisible, yet always in sight; a lobby boy remembers what people hate; a lobby boy anticipates the client’s needs before the needs are needed.”[11] Jesus said, “And whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:44-45, NIV). I Corinthians 13:4-8 describes a true servant in the Kingdom as one who loves: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends” (NIV). In the Great Commandment, Jesus said that loving God and loving others were connected; He stressed, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:39). Balance in life means that one loves and serves his neighbor, whatever that entails (Luke 6:30).
            The final support of balance is spiritual formation. In his book, The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren says, “Truth transforms us” [12] (Matt. 4:4; Acts 20:32). Truth abides in God’s Word. Spiritual growth begins with the indwelling Holy Spirit and when each believer replaces falsehoods with the God’s truth.[13] Christ-followers are transformed through trial (2 Cor. 4:17), which builds spiritual strength and purity (1 Pet. 4:12). Believers are also transformed through a life of prayer (Matt. 6:9-13).
The objective of each believer should be Christlikeness. God gives collaborators in life to help equip the saints, such as “apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers” (Eph. 4:11-13, ESV). Spiritual growth is a process through which Christ’s character is fashioned within a believer, through “the ministry of the Spirit, in the context of community, and in accordance with biblical standards.”[14] This process incorporates the whole individual—their yearnings, views, and actions. Ultimately, this process radically changes a believer’s life, resulting in a person’s dying to self and living for Christ.[15]
Balance between spiritual formation, service and worship is evidence of a life of spiritual strength and stability.

Personal Ministry Balance

Boundaries are extremely important for a balanced life and ministry. Henry Cloud and John Townsend have addressed the necessity of boundaries in many of their books. In the first of the “Boundaries” series, they wrote:
In the spiritual world, boundaries are… real, but often harder to see. [You need to] define your intangible boundaries and to recognize them as an ever-present reality that can increase your love and save your life. In reality, these boundaries define your soul, and they help you to guard it and maintain it (Prov. 4: 23).[16] 

In order to live a healthy, emotionally stable life, one must be fully in the present, listening, and ready to act. Being healthy emotionally and spiritually means a person is fully absorbed in whatever opportunities God is presenting. “Being ready,” says author and pastor Tim Chaddick, ”does not mean you fully understand all the details; it means you fully surrender to the God who plans them.”[17]  
In ministry and leadership, boundaries are constantly being challenged. Author Jenni Catron writes of creating a disciplined work culture: “When our mind and managerial leadership are balanced well with the other dimensions of leadership, we inspire disciplined cultures where processes are well-defined, systems and structures are clear, and boundaries are understood.”[18]  In order to set up strong boundaries between personal life and ministry, one must make clear restrictions and limits, and be disciplined to stick to them. Mark Freeman describes self-leadership as “the process of influencing ourselves and developing the self-motivation needed to perform.”[19] Charles E. Hummel, author of the classic book Tyranny of the Urgent, warns, “Christians who are too busy to stop, take spiritual inventory and receive their assignments from God become slaves to the tyranny of the urgent [to manage by crisis]...they don’t complete the work God has for them to do.”[20] 

Next time: Part 2, Family Balance
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Footnotes


[1] Gary Barkalow, It's Your Call: What Are You Doing Here? (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2010), Kindle Edition, locations 492-493.

[2] Ibid., locations 669-671.

[3] Gary McIntosh and Samuel D, Rima Sr., Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: The Paradox of Personal Dysfunction (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2007), Kindle Edition, locations 1863-1865. 

[4] Donald T. Phillips, Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times (New York: Warner, 1992), 80. 

[5] Mark Freeman, “Personal Strategies Can Lead to Self-Leadership,” Birmingham Business Journal, October 10, 2004, http:// www.bizjournals.com/ birmingham/ stories/ 2004/ 10/ 11/ focus2. html? page = all. (Accessed July 12, 2016).

[6] Rose Marie Miller, Nothing Is Impossible with God: Reflections on Weakness, Faith, and Power (Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2012), 11; 56.

[7] David A. Seamands, Healing for Damaged Emotions (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2015), 15.

[8] Henry Cloud, Changes That Heal: The Four Shifts That Make Everything Better…And That Everyone Can Do Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992), 146.

[9] Dave Branon, “Obedience Is Worship,” Our Daily Bread (June 9, 2013) http://odb.org/2013/06/09/obedience-is-worship/ (accessed July 12, 2016).

[10] Ibid.

[11] Wes Anderson, director and screenwriter, from the movie The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), American Empirical Pictures (US) and Indian Paintbrush (US).

[12] Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 212.

[13] Ibid.

[14] “Definition of Spiritual Formation at DTS,” Dallas Theological Seminaryhttp://www.dts.edu/departments/academic/eml/sf/definition/ (accessed July 12, 2016).

[15] Ibid.

[16] Henry Cloud and John Townsend, Boundaries: When To Say Yes, How to Say No (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992), 29.

[17] Tim Chaddick and Craig Borlase, Better: How Jesus Satisfies the Search for Meaning (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2013), Kindle Edition locations1047-1049.

[18] Jenni Catron, The Four Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership: The Power of Leading from Your Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2015), 135.

[19] Mark Freeman, “Personal Strategies Can Lead to Self-Leadership.”

[20] Charles E. Hummel, Tyranny of the UrgentRevised and Expanded (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), Kindle Edition locations 206-208.


Bibliography


Anderson, Wes. Director and screenwriter. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). American Empirical Pictures (US) and Indian Paintbrush (US).

Barkalow, Gary. It's Your Call: What Are You Doing Here? Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2010. Kindle Edition.

Baucham Jr., Voddie. Family Shepherds: Calling and Equipping Men to Lead Their Homes. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Books, 2011.

Blackaby, Henry, Richard Blackaby and Clause King. Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Nashville: B&H Publications, 2008. Kindle Edition.

Branon, Dave. “Obedience Is Worship.” Our Daily Bread (June 9, 2013). http://odb.org/2013/06/09/obedience-is-worship/ (accessed July 12, 2016).

Carter, Karina Martinez- “How the elderly are treated around the world.” This Week (July 23, 2013). http://theweek.com/articles/462230/how-elderly-are-treated-around-world. (Accessed July 13, 2016).

Catron, Jenni. The Four Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership: The Power of Leading from Your Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2015.

Chaddick, Tim and Craig Borlase. Better: How Jesus Satisfies the Search for Meaning. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2013. Kindle Edition.

Cloud, Henry and John Townsend. Boundaries: When To Say Yes, How to Say No. Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1992.

Cloud, Henry. Changes That Heal: The Four Shifts That Make Everything Better…And That Everyone Can Do Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992.

“Definition of Spiritual Formation at DTS.” Dallas Theological Seminary. http://www.dts.edu/departments/academic/eml/sf/definition/ (Accessed July 12, 2016).

Draper, Edyth. Draper’s Book of Quotations for the Christian World. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992.

Edmondson, Ron. “10 Suggestions for Raising Godly Children.” RonEdmondson. http://www.ronedmondson.com/2015/05/10-suggestions-for-raising-godly-children.html (Accessed July 17, 2016).

Farrar, Steve. Real Valor: A Charge to Nurture and Protect Your Family—Bold Man Of God Series. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2013.

Freeman, Mark. “Personal Strategies Can Lead to Self-Leadership.” Birmingham Business Journal (October 10, 2004). http:// www.bizjournals.com/ birmingham/ stories/ 2004/ 10/ 11/ focus2. html? page = all. (Accessed July 12, 2016).

Gelsinger, Pat. The Juggling Act: Bringing Balance to Your Faith, Family, and Work (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2008.

Harvill, Jamie. Worship Foundry: Shaping a New Generation of Worship Leaders. Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press, 2013.

Hummel, Charles E. Tyranny of the Urgent: Revised and Expanded. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994.

Lancer, Darlene JD, MFT. “Symptoms of Codependency.” PsychCentral. http://psychcentral.com/lib/symptoms-of-codependency/. (Accessed July 13, 2016).

McIntosh, Gary L. and Samuel D. Rima Sr. Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: How to Become an Effective Leader by Confronting Potential Failures. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007.

McLeod, Beth Witrogen. “Empty Nests: Flying Solo After the Kids Leave Home.” HealthDay (January 20, 2016). https://consumer.healthday.com/encyclopedia/depression-12/depression-news-176/empty-nests-flying-solo-after-the-kids-leave-home-645069.html. (Accessed July 12, 2016).

Miller, Rose Marie. Nothing Is Impossible with God: Reflections on Weakness, Faith, and Power. Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2012.

National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2015: With Special Feature on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. Hyattsville, MD. 2016.

Neistat, Casey. “Overpowered Motorized Skateboard” (Vlog # 119, July 22, 2015). CaseyNeistat on YouTubeRed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSCoVPoCt1U. (Accessed July 13, 2016).

Parsley, Ross. Messy Church: A Multigenerational Mission for God’s Family. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2012.

Phillips, Donald T. Lincoln On Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times. Illinois, USA: DTP/Companion Books, 2009.

Piper, John. Let the Nations Be Glad! The Supremacy of God in Missions. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1993.

Pipes, Dr. Jerry and Victor Lee, Family to Family: Leaving A Lasting Legacy. Nashville: NAMB of the SBC, 1999.

Kornhaber, Dr. Eugene. “Grandparents As ‘Spiritual Guides,’” Foundation for Grandparenting. http://grandparenting.org/resource/grandparents-as-spiritual-guides/ (Accessed July 13, 2016).

Rainer, Thom. “Autopsy of A Burned Out Pastor: 13 Lessons.” Thom S. Rainer: Growing Healthy Churches, Together (June 23, 2014). http://thomrainer.com/2014/06/autopsy-burned-pastor-13-lessons/. (Accessed July 13, 2016).

Rainey, Dennis and Dave Boehi. The Tribute: What Every Parent Longs to Hear. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994.

Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual Leadership: A Commitment to Excellence for Every Believer. Chicago: Moody Press, 2007.

Seamands, David A. Healing for Damaged Emotions. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2015.

Thrall, Bill, Bruce McNicol, and Ken McElrath. The Ascent of a Leader: How Ordinary Relationships Develop Extraordinary Character and Influence. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999. Kindle Edition.

Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For? Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002.

Wheeler, David and Vernon M. Whaley. The Great Commission to Worship: Biblical Principles for Worship-Based Evangelism. Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2011.

Zaki, Anne. “Shall We Dance?: Reflections on the Nairobi Statement on Worship and Culture.” From the book Worship and Mission for the Global Church, James R. Krabill, ed. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 2013.




Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Life Is Hard Series: Forgiveness—2 Ways To Deal With It



Here’s an understatement, folks: Life is hard!

It can be so difficult for some that they opt out and, by some means, take their own life. I can’t say that I have come anywhere near this place of desperation personally, but I have known others, even some family members, who have attempted suicide and succeeded. Suicidal tendencies, according to an April 2010 Psychology Today piece by Alex Lickerman M.D., are complicated because a person may be feeling either one or a combination of things: they are depressed; they're psychotic (“Malevolent inner voices often command self-destruction for unintelligible reasons”); they're impulsive; they're crying out for help; they have a philosophical desire to die; and they've made a mistake.

This Life Is Hard Series will not be specifically about suicide, but it is about how one may react to a terrible tragedy, trial and deep hurt; it is about what affects us emotionally and how we can move on with spiritual health in the midst of difficulty.

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I recently saw a report regarding the fallout of one-time musical partners Graham Nash and David Crosby; both are incredibly influential people in my musical upbringing, and members of the supergroup Crosby, Stills and Nash (and sometimes Young). In a March 8, 2016 Rolling Stone article by David Kreps, Nash said, "I don't like David Crosby right now. He's been awful for me the last two years…David has ripped the heart out of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young."

Hurt may cause one’s closest friend to become their most hated enemy. Regretfully, Nash said in reaction to the pain, "How can I not be sad? Look at the music we probably lost.”

Unforgiveness is insidious; it is sin against God because it shows a lack of trust that God is ultimately in control


Pain can either be life-giving or it can become a harbinger of death. Pain can tell us that something is wrong and that we must avert certain behaviors or attitudes to avoid more difficulty. Then, on the other hand, pain can turn into bitterness, fester like an infection, and eat away at our insides like cancer. Pain, such as in the case of Crosby and Nash, unfortunately can result in loss.

Unforgiveness is insidious; it is sin against God because it shows a lack of trust that God is ultimately in control—even when it seems our lives have temporarily come off the rails. So many times we take the responsibility upon ourselves to seek revenge—for after all, we have been hurt, and “shouldn’t we repay the evildoer?”

In Matthew 18:32-33 (NIV), Jesus illustrates the need for forgiveness—both to receive it, but most importantly, to give it: “Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’” Tim Keller discussed forgiveness in his incredibly helpful article, Serving Each Other Through Forgiveness and Reconciliation: “A lack of forgiveness toward others is the direct result of a lack of repentance toward God. And as we know, you must repent in order to be saved (Acts 2:38).”

Difficulties can lead us to do things we never would have otherwise contemplated, like murder, damaging property, or putting others in danger (especially our loved ones) by way of our anger. Some, as I mentioned at the beginning of this piece, cannot even forgive themselves. Ryan Holiday, in the book Ego Is the Enemy, writes, “Sometimes because we can’t face what’s been said or what’s been done, we do the unthinkable in response to the unbearable: we escalate. This is ego in its purest and most toxic form.”

I myself have been hurt, wronged, misunderstood, etc., and have struggled to grasp forgiveness because it is so counterintuitive to the human mind; forgiving someone who has wronged us can seem impossible to arrive at, as we may say, “That idiot shouldn’t be let off the hook so easily!”

"Forgiveness is always extremely costly"—Tim Keller


I totally get it! I deal with forgiveness on a daily basis, even several times per day. It’s not that the perpetrator will ever feel remorse for their infraction upon us—their sin against us; it’s that I myself need the release that forgiveness brings. Keller, in the article mentioned earlier, says, “What then is forgiveness? Forgiveness means giving up the right to seek repayment from the one who harmed you. But it must be recognized that forgiveness is a form of voluntary suffering.” He goes on to say that, “Forgiveness is always extremely costly. It is emotionally very expensive—it takes much blood, sweat, and tears. When you forgive, you pay the debt yourself…” Paying the debt, says Keller, means you commit to refuse retaliation, you refuse to diminish the person in mind and deed, and try to stop the replay (rumination) of the infractions over and over in your mind. This personal expense takes time and constant disciplining of our minds, and instead of deepening the wound, it will deepen our character, eventually healing the hurt, glorifying God!

“If someone wrongs you,” says Keller, ”there are only two options: (1) you make them suffer, or (2) you refuse revenge and forgive them and then you suffer. And if we can’t forgive without suffering, how much more must God suffer in order to forgive us?”


Handlebars for hope and healing: Forgiveness is given before it is felt!






(Page 2).

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Walt Disney, God and Worship



As a native of Fullerton, California—raised just a mere 4-1/2 miles to the north of Disneyland—I grew up with wonder of all things Walt Disney. In fact, during evenings in the summer months of the ‘60s and ’70s, my family could hear the distant sound  of fireworks popping over Matterhorn Mountain, which drifted through the screen of our family room’s sliding glass door. The memories are still vivid, and I cherish them to this day. When I travel back home to Orange County I usually make plans to drop the $100 plus to enter into the Magic Kingdom; it still takes my breath away, even as I am a grandfather now and am disappointed at how small the California park seems in comparison to when I visited as a kid. 

Walt Disney wasn’t a perfect person, as many have learned from various biographies. It is said that he was a colossal failure at several endeavors: His first animation company formed in Kansas City in 1921 failed because he couldn’t pay the rent; the character he named Oswald the Rabbit in 1926 was contractually taken from him by the distributor, and subsequently his artists were lured away, too;  the movie Snow White almost didn’t happen because of budget overruns, etc. It is said that Walt suffered from depression, supposedly going back to his early days of hopeless struggle and challenge as a lonely paperboy who couldn’t quite please his father. 

Through his movies and the park, Disney desired to portray an idealistic America where his own disappointments would fade into a white-washed version of history and of the future—much as it has done for millions, including myself. In a 1953 prospectus for possible investors in the Disneyland project that brother Roy presented in New York, Walt wrote: “Disneyland will be the essence of America as we know it…the nostalgia of the past, the exciting glimpses into the future. It will give meaning to the pleasure of the children—and pleasure to the experience of adults. It will focus a new interest upon Southern California through the mediums of television and other exploitation. It will be a place for California to be at home, to bring its guests, to demonstrate its faith in the future…” This post-WWII modernistic ideology, with it’s hope for the future in the shadow of the Cold War, was pervasive back when Walt designed the park. Since then, it is apparent that “faith in the future” is something for which postmoderns are still wrestling. Even so, Walt has given joy to so many in an age where hope has been on the decline. 

I don’t know if Walt was a Christian, or if faith in Christ ever made an impact on him. In a 1949 Guidepost magazine article, Disney wrote: "I believe firmly in the efficacy of religion, in its powerful influence on a person's whole life. It helps immeasurably to meet the storm and stress of life and keep you attuned to the Divine inspiration. Without inspiration, we would perish. All I ask of myself, 'Live a good Christian life.' To that objective I bend every effort in shaping my personal, domestic, and professional activities and growth." Eric David, in a November 4,  2009 Christianity Today article, wrote: “[Disney focussed] all of his films on the victory of good over evil…Disney's films also lift up the Protestant work ethic, the beauty and energy of upbeat music, and the old adage that cleanliness is next to godliness.”

In a fairly recent interview, retired Disney musician, Rod Miller, told of an encounter Walt had while on one of his many trips to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. Having asked a tour guide if it was possible to stay the night unaccompanied in the caverns, she—not wanting to turn Walt Disney down—gave permission. Walt spent the night in what may be the grandest vault of the cavern, one purported to be inspiration for some of the caves in Disney’s original Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. When the guide came back early the next morning, Walt was found lying on his back with arms folded, looking straight up to the majestic ceiling of the cave. When asked how he slept, Walt said he hadn’t, and went on to declare, “When you spend a night in a place like this by yourself is when you realize the hand of God is what built this."

However one looks at life, be it through a lens of despair or of faith, realizing that there is a great God at the very core of life—that God has created this earth and humanity for the expressed purpose to worship the Creator—one’s very attitude must be affected. Though Walt Disney may never have professed faith in Christ, he did, on that early morning in Carlsbad Caverns, declare the wonders of God. Today, may we as believers proclaim the wonders of God as we behold His magnificent creation. Yes—in the midst of a hopeless world—He is spectacular!



The heavens are telling of the glory of God;

And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. 
—Psalm 19:1