- Am I a sinner—a despicable being, living under the constant threat of God’s wrath and punishment, who must appease his will through strict obedience to moral and ritual commands (LIFE UNDER GOD)?
- Am I a manager—an autonomous being who has been given a divine manual for operating my life and world, and whose fate will ultimately rest upon how well I implement God’s principles and instructions (LIFE OVER GOD)?
- Am I a consumer—a discontent being comprised of unmet desires and longings who demands all things, people, and even God to orbit around me and fulfill my expectations (LIFE FROM GOD)?
- Am I a servant—a worker created to fulfill a great mission whose sense of value is inexorably linked to what I am able to accomplish and the magnitude of my impact on the world (LIFE FOR GOD)? (pp. 169-170)
Then Skye explains “Life with God,” and what it means to abide in Christ. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a nice summary paragraph (as that’s what the whole book is about).
But maybe you’re thinking, how do I do that? How do I do “life with Christ?” In the closing appendix, Skye explains several spiritual practices for communing with God, including Lectio Divina (meditative reading of Scripture), the Book of Common Prayer, the daily office (praying 3 specific times throughout the day) and practicing Examination, where at the end of the day you look back through the day and thank God for how he moved. If you’d like to learn more, I encourage you to YouTube those concepts or pick up the book and check it out. I’m also happy to sit and talk through these ideas for communing with Christ.