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Built For Greatness
Understanding God: BFG Handbook Chapter 70 (Simple Words of God are often Misunderstood)
Discover the highlights of this chapter shaping the New Evangelization today: https://www.builtforgreatness.com/tao-the-ching-chapter-70-understanding-god/
The ancient wisdom of the Tao Te Ching collides with Christian teaching in a fascinating exploration of Chapter 70 from the "Built for God Handbook." This unique text presents gospel truths through an Eastern philosophical framework, revealing universal principles that transcend traditional religious boundaries.
"My words are easy to understand and easy to follow, yet the world does not understand and does not follow." This central paradox captures the essence of divine communication across spiritual traditions – profound truth is often deceptively simple, yet frequently misunderstood. The chapter anchors this wisdom in eternity, reminiscent of John's gospel where "in the beginning was the Word," establishing divine authority while acknowledging that true recognition transcends intellectual knowledge alone.
What makes this interpretation particularly compelling is its embrace of paradox rather than attempting to resolve it. "Though the Son of God wears the rough clothes of a servant, he carries a priceless treasure in his heart." Here, external humility contains infinite internal value – a complete inversion of worldly valuation systems that prioritize appearance over substance.
For practical application, we examine the Trinitarian MAP (Mindset, Aim, Practice) – a structured framework for personal transformation. Beginning with mindsets shaped by God's love, moving through aims directed by trust in Christ, and culminating in practices guided by the Holy Spirit, this holistic approach offers concrete steps for spiritual growth and renewal.
Perhaps most intriguing is how these principles resonate across major world religions – not claiming theological equivalence, but identifying shared human recognitions of divine truth. From the simplicity of core teachings to alignment with divine will, resilience in the face of rejection, and the paradox of humble service containing spiritual treasure, these themes appear across traditions in different yet recognizable forms.
By focusing on shared foundational values while respecting differences, Chapter 70 presents a vision where deep faith leads not to isolation but to connection. As Thomas Aquinas reportedly said, "Truth cannot contradict truth" – and discovering these simple, profound truths about humility, divine purpose, and inner value might be our most powerful step toward greater understanding in a fractured world.
Join us in exploring this unique intersection of Eastern and Western wisdom, and discover how ancient paradoxes might hold the key to both personal transformation and building bridges across diverse spiritual traditions.
We're diving into a really interesting source today, Chapter 70, titled Understanding God. It's from something called the Built for God Handbook and specifically we're looking at the Christian edition of the Tao Te Ching.
Speaker 2:That's right, and this isn't just, you know, standard commentary. The source tells us chapter 70 has a very specific stated purpose. Okay, it aims to present the gospel through what it calls a new expression of God's love, and the goal, explicitly, is to restore the truth, taking these ancient, profound principles you usually associate with the Tao Te Ching and filtering them quite deliberately through a Christian perspective.
Speaker 1:That's a fascinating premise right there, merging those two sort of wisdom traditions to articulate gospel truths, exactly. So our mission in this deep dive is to really get to grips with this specific chapter. We'll break down its core message first, then explore a very practical method for renewal based on its principles, using something the source calls the Trinitarian MAP.
Speaker 2:MAP Mindset, aim and Practice. And finally, we'll look at how internalizing these ideas empowers us to respond by finding what it sees as shared truths across different faith traditions. We're going to see what practical wisdom this unique perspective holds for understanding divine communication, our purpose and, maybe surprisingly, finding common ground.
Speaker 1:Let's jump into the chapter itself. Then it opens with this immediate, pretty striking paradox that just grabs you my words are easy to understand and easy to follow, yet the world does not understand and does not follow.
Speaker 2:It's the central tension, isn't it? The speaker claims absolute clarity, simplicity, even yet observes this widespread failure to grasp it or live by it. It makes you wonder well, if it's so easy, why is it so hard for people? And the source suggests this really echoes Jesus's own experience, Like in Matthew 13, the parables revealing truth to some, hidden from others. Not because the stories were complicated. The difficulty isn't in the complexity, but maybe in the listener's openness or capacity.
Speaker 1:And the speaker immediately gives these simple words profound weight, talking about their origin. My words are from the beginning of time. My actions come from the one who sent me.
Speaker 2:This anchors the message in well, eternity and divine authority. The source makes a direct link here to John's gospel. You know, in the beginning was the word and the word was God. Yeah, Eternal divine word and the actions from the one who sent me.
Speaker 1:the source explicitly links that to jesus in john 14.10, where he says he only does what he sees the father doing. So his life is the embodiment of this divine action and the consequence of missing this link words, actions, divine source. It's pretty stark. If people do not know this, they do not not know me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's powerful. True knowledge isn't just knowing about something. It's linked to recognizing the source. The source material frames this as really understanding Christ's true identity.
Speaker 1:Not just knowing scripture.
Speaker 2:It points out that just being familiar with the texts, like some were in Jesus' time, didn't guarantee recognition if they missed this fundamental divine origin and purpose. It's less about head knowledge.
Speaker 1:More about recognizing who is speaking and acting. Yet this lack of recognition, this limited understanding, it doesn't devalue the message itself. The chapter says those who understand me are few, but it does not lessen my worth.
Speaker 2:And that's crucial. The source really emphasizes this the truth, specifically the truth embodied in Christ. Its value isn't based on popularity contests. Despite rejection, limited understanding, its inherent eternal value remains absolute. Think of that narrow road Jesus talks about in Matthew 7. Few find it, but its worth isn't diminished by the numbers right.
Speaker 1:Right, and it all builds to that beautiful paradoxical image. At the end, though the Son of God wears the rough clothes of a servant, he carries a priceless treasure in his heart.
Speaker 2:This is maybe the most surprising part of this opening section. It really challenges our usual ideas of value. The source interprets this as the divine manifesting in just utter humility, the Son of God taking the form of a servant wearing rough clothes. But this outward simplicity, this humility, it contains something infinitely precious the priceless treasure of God's presence, his truth, salvation itself. It completely flips the world's value system, doesn't it? True treasure isn't external, it's within. The source ties this to Jesus' teaching about heavenly treasures, not earthly ones, in Matthew 6. This internal spiritual wealth is paramount.
Speaker 1:So the core message from chapter 70, as this source presents it is about a divinely sourced eternal truth. It's simple yet often misunderstood, Embodied in humility, and its worth is inherent, regardless of how it's received.
Speaker 2:Precisely. That sums it up really well, and understanding that core message is presented as the foundation for well personal transformation.
Speaker 1:Which brings us to the next part of our deep dive Renewal, guided by this Trinitarian MAP. The source lays this out as a structured way to internalize these truths. Letting God's love shape our mindset.
Speaker 2:Trust in the Son direct our aim.
Speaker 1:And faith in the Holy Spirit guide our practice.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's trying to provide a practical framework. God's love changes our perspective. That's mindset. Trust in the Son, who embodied the truth, directs our purpose and goals. That's aim. And faith in the Holy Spirit, the guide and empowerer, shapes our daily actions. That's practice.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's dive into mindset. Then, shaped by God's love, the source pulls out five key mindsets from chapter 70. First, from that opening paradox my words are easy, yet the world does not understand comes humility and understanding and action.
Speaker 2:The mindset here is described as sort of humble realism, because truth is simple but often rejected. The source says develop a mindset that expects disagreement, expect lack of understanding. Sometimes it's about patience, not getting discouraged by rejection, recognizing that what seems clear to you might seem like well foolishness to others. Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians, right the cross being foolish. So it's a humility that doesn't demand immediate acceptance but just keeps going in truth.
Speaker 1:Okay, building on that, my words are from the beginning of time.
Speaker 2:My come from the one who sent me comes the mindset of awareness of divine purpose if your words and actions are ultimately sourced, in eternity, from the divine, then this mindset means seeing your own life, your own efforts as potentially part of something much bigger, a divine purpose so living with intention seeking alignment with god's will, understanding that you know even in your plans the Lord is establishing your steps, like Proverbs 16.9 says, it's a mindset rooted in the belief. Your life isn't just random.
Speaker 1:It can reflect God's plan.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just as Jesus's actions reflected the father's.
Speaker 1:And that ties right into the next one. If people do not know this, they do not know me Recognizing the true identity of Christ.
Speaker 2:This mindset focuses on how vital it is to recognize Christ's divine nature and purpose. The source argues that true knowledge of Christ isn't just intellectual, it's relational, it's transformative.
Speaker 1:So it's not just knowing about Jesus.
Speaker 2:It's understanding who he is the son of God, the one embodying that eternal truth we talked about. Having this mindset is crucial for your own identity as a follower, and it gives you the foundation to help others understand him too. Like Jesus said, if you really know me, you will know my father as well.
Speaker 1:Then from those who understand me are few, but it does not lessen my worth. The mindset is peace in the face of rejection.
Speaker 2:Yes, recognizing that rejection or just limited understanding is kind of anticipated in chapter 70 helps foster this mindset of inner peace, your worth and the worth of the truth you carry. It doesn't depend on human approval.
Speaker 1:Not on how many likes you get.
Speaker 2:Exactly, not on the metrics. This allows for contentment resilience. You can stay firm in your convictions without getting totally rattled by criticism, because you know God's value of you and his truth. That's what matters. It's like that piece Paul talks about in Philippians 4.
Speaker 1:Guarding hearts and minds.
Speaker 2:That's the one.
Speaker 1:And finally, from. Though the son of God wears the rough clothes of a servant, he carries a priceless treasure the mindset is embracing humility while carrying God's treasure.
Speaker 2:no-transcript your richness comes from God's work inside you, seeing yourself maybe as a jar of clay.
Speaker 1:Holding this incredible treasure.
Speaker 2:Exactly Holding the surpassing treasure.
Speaker 1:Okay, that lays out the mindset shaped by God's love. Now let's shift gears to aim where trust in the sun directs our purpose. First, back to that opening paradox. Aim for clarity and truth in communication.
Speaker 2:Yes, Knowing the truth is simple but often misunderstood, should inform our aim when we communicate. The goal isn't to be clever or win arguments with complex rhetoric. Aim for plain, clear, truthful communication Spoken with love. The source emphasizes. Our responsibility is to present the truth faithfully, aiming to be understood even if acceptance doesn't happen. Avoid deception. Aim for clarity.
Speaker 1:Then, building on the divine origin idea, aim for alignment with God's divine plan.
Speaker 2:Christ's actions came for the one who sent him, then our aim, guided by trust in him, should be to align our own actions with God's eternal purposes.
Speaker 1:So this is proactive.
Speaker 2:Very proactive. It's an aim, seeking God's will through scripture prayer, listening to the spirit and intentionally directing our choices. You know will through scripture prayer, listening to the Spirit and intentionally directing our choices. You know career relationships, goals aiming to contribute to that larger divine plan. It's like Proverbs 16.3 says commit your plans to the Lord, aiming for him to establish them according to his purpose.
Speaker 1:And connecting to knowing Christ. Aim to know Christ deeply and share his identity.
Speaker 2:This aim is about intentional pursuit. It's not just passive knowledge. It's actively aiming to deepen your personal, relational knowledge of Christ, his nature, his love, his mission. And this internal growth naturally leads to the aim of making him known, sharing his true identity, so others can also find reconciliation with God. It's that desire Paul expresses in Philippilippians 3 I want to know christ.
Speaker 2:That's a name based on facing limited understanding, aim for peace and confidence despite rejection trusting the son allows you to aim for an interstate of peace and confidence that isn't easily shaken by what people think or say because he faced it too exactly knowing that christ himself faced rejection, yet his worth and mission were absolute. That empowers you to aim, to stay focused on your calling on the value of the truth, regardless of criticism or indifference. It's aiming for that peace that guards your heart and mind even when the world pushes back.
Speaker 1:And finally, drawing from the servant image, aim for humility and service, while reflecting God's glory.
Speaker 2:This aim comes straight from Christ's example. You're aiming to embody that paradox, living a life of humble service, not aiming for personal recognition or glory.
Speaker 1:But aiming to reflect the treasure within.
Speaker 2:Precisely Aiming to intentionally reflect that priceless treasure of God's love and truth that resides inside. It's an active choice to adopt the mindset of Christ, aiming to make yourself available to serve others selflessly, recognizing that true greatness, according to this source, comes from serving, not being served, and in doing that you aim to reflect God's glory.
Speaker 1:That's a clear set of aims flowing from trust in the Son. Okay, so now? How does faith in the Holy Spirit guide our practice, the actual doing?
Speaker 2:Exactly, this section is all about the daily enactment, the living out of these mindsets and aims, but specifically empowered by the Spirit. It's the rubber meets the road part.
Speaker 1:Okay, so first practice, linked again to the opening paradox Embrace simplicity and clarity in communication.
Speaker 2:The practice here is actively choosing simplicity and clarity, not just in how you talk about your faith but, importantly, how you live your life. Knowing the message is simple, but often misunderstood. The practice is to present it without adding unnecessary complexity, Trusting the Holy Spirit to do the work in people's hearts, not relying on your own fancy arguments. It's practicing being a light that shines clearly, making the gospel accessible.
Speaker 1:Next practice tied to divine origin.
Speaker 2:Align your actions with God's eternal plan. This takes the aim of alignment and makes it a concrete, daily practice. It's a continuous, active practice of seeking God's will and aligning your steps with it.
Speaker 1:How does that look day to day?
Speaker 2:Well, the source suggests things like daily prayer, studying scripture to really understand God's heart and purposes, using discernment and decisions, big and small, and trusting that, as you practice submitting your way to him, he is directing your paths, like proverbs.
Speaker 2:3.56 talks about living out the good works he prepared exactly and, following from knowing christ, recognize and share the true identity of christ the practice here is making that deep knowledge of Christ an ongoing pursuit, not a one-time thing, daily spending time with him in prayer, reflection, letting your understanding grow and that as a practice, actively looking for opportunities to share who Christ is, not just abstract ideas, but his identity Savior, son of God, the embodiment of love and truth. Through your words, yes, but also through your actions. It's the practice of living out that confession Peter made you are the Christ.
Speaker 1:The Son of the living God.
Speaker 2:That's it.
Speaker 1:Fourth practice, linked to facing rejection remain steadfast despite rejection.
Speaker 2:This is the practice of resilience, really. When you face misunderstanding, criticism, maybe just indifference, the practice is to consciously lean on your faith, lean on the Holy Spirit for strength and peace.
Speaker 1:How do you practice that?
Speaker 2:It's about actively reminding yourself that the truth's value isn't based on acceptance. Practicing patience, practicing continuing to walk the path God has for you, knowing rejection is part of the journey, just like it was for Christ. It's practicing that faith Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 4, that keeps you from being crushed or despairing, even when things are tough. Okay and finally bringing together humility and treasure. Live with humility corinthians 4.
Speaker 1:That keeps you from being crushed or despairing, even when things are tough, okay. And finally bringing together humility and treasure. Live with humility, carrying god's treasure this practice embodies that final paradox.
Speaker 2:It's the daily practice of living humbly, serving others selflessly, not chasing praise or recognition while knowing what you carry inside exactly, while simultaneously being deeply aware of the priceless treasure of God's love salvation that you carry within. It's practicing gratitude for that internal wealth and letting it manifest outwardly in acts of service and love, reflecting the humility Christ modeled. Recognizing true value comes from God, from what he's placed in your heart, not your outward status. Philippians 2 is great on this. In humility, value others above yourselves. That's a practice.
Speaker 1:Wow, that MAP structure, mindset, aim, practice, drawing from God's love, trust in the Son, faith in the Holy Spirit. It really does provide a comprehensive, almost step-by-step way to apply these principles from chapter 70 to daily life.
Speaker 2:It's presented as a very holistic approach, isn't it, to internal transformation, daily life. It's presented as a very holistic approach, isn't it, to internal transformation, moving from a changed perspective to purposeful direction and then to consistent action, all grounded in that Trinitarian framework.
Speaker 1:And the source suggests this internal renewal, this renewal through the MAP, actually empowers us to respond more effectively in the world, particularly in fostering dialogue and finding shared truths across different traditions. This is where it gets really interesting. It makes the claim that these principles from chapter 70 resonate deeply in other major world religions.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's where the source takes this fascinating turn outward. It basically posits that someone who has really internalized these truths is better equipped with greater ardor, but also humility, to engage meaningfully with people of different beliefs to discover common ground. Truth, wherever you find it, ultimately aligns with other truth.
Speaker 1:Okay, so let's look at some of these shared truths. The source identifies, starting with that idea from the opening paradox, the simplicity and clarity of divine communication.
Speaker 2:Right. The source finds echoes of this idea that fundamental divine messages are actually accessible Pretty simple, Even if how people receive them varies across different traditions. It points to Jesus's parables in Christianity, obviously, but also the straightforward Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path in Buddhism, the idea of accessible devotion bhakti in Hinduism's Bhagavad Gita and the core, clear principles of the Torah in Judaism.
Speaker 1:So the common thread is accessibility.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the source says. What unites us here is this profound idea that ultimate truth can be grasped by sincere seekers, and these core messages often point toward universal virtues love, compassion, things like that.
Speaker 1:That's a powerful common thread. Okay, next, drawing from the divine origin of words and actions, aligning actions with the divine will.
Speaker 2:Here the source highlights the shared value across faiths on aligning one's life and actions with a higher divine will or purpose. Examples it cites Christianity's focus on following Christ's example solely according to the Father's will, buddhism's path of aligning with the Dharma, islam's core concept of submission to Allah's will, krishna's advice in the Bhagavad Gita to act according to divine instruction. And Judaism's focus on living by God's commandments in the Torah.
Speaker 1:So the shared idea is living in accordance with something greater.
Speaker 2:Exactly the source argues that, across these faiths, pursuing alignment with a perceived divine purpose is seen as a universal path towards fulfillment, peace and growth.
Speaker 1:Okay, Shifting to the statement about knowing Christ, understanding Christ and the divine nature. This seems more specific to Christianity.
Speaker 2:It is, and the source acknowledges the unique identity of Christ in Christianity. You know, anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. But it finds a related shared theme the recognition across religions of a central figure or concept that embodies divine wisdom or presence or nature in some way.
Speaker 1:So like Buddha, embodying wisdom and compassion.
Speaker 2:Yes, or Islam's absolute emphasis on the oneness of Allah and Muhammad's role as his prophet Krishna understood as a supreme being in Hinduism, judaism's foundational belief in God as one indivisible.
Speaker 1:So the connection isn't identical beliefs but the shared human recognition of the divine manifesting.
Speaker 2:That's how the source puts it. This shared recognition in different ways, through key figures or concepts, is seen as a point of connection. It encourages deeper spiritual seeking and mutual respect, even where the specific understandings are very different.
Speaker 1:Interesting. Okay, and drawing from the resilience point, resilience and peace in the face of rejection.
Speaker 2:Here the source observes that, while messengers of truth across traditions have often faced misunderstanding and rejection, it's almost a pattern.
Speaker 1:We see that with Jesus.
Speaker 2:Right Jesus' path included rejection, buddhism's teachings on suffering and using mindfulness to navigate it. Prophet Muhammad faced intense rejection. The Bhagavad Gita teaches detachment from the results of actions, which includes acceptance or rejection, and the prophets in Judaism constantly faced resistance. So the uniting threat is the shared recognition that standing for truth can bring opposition and the value placed across these traditions on cultivating inner strength, patience and peace, to remain steadfast despite what others think or do.
Speaker 1:Okay, finally, reflecting on the servant image and hidden treasure, humility and the hidden treasure within.
Speaker 2:This is identified by the source as a really powerful point of convergence the idea that true value, spiritual wealth, divine presence resides within us, and it's often found through humility and service.
Speaker 1:How does that play out in other traditions?
Speaker 2:Points to Christ's ultimate humility as a servant carrying eternal life. Buddha embodying wisdom and selflessness in simplicity. Islam emphasizes humility as a key virtue reflected in Prophet Muhammad's simple life. The Bhagavad Gita highlights the power found in humility and devotion, and Judaism calls people to walk humbly before God and others so the shared principle is that the best stuff is internal pretty much the source argues.
Speaker 2:The shared principle underscores that the most profound spiritual treasures wisdom, peace, salvation, enlightenment their internal cultivated through inner virtue, devotion, a humble orientation towards service rather than just external show or status.
Speaker 1:So the source's whole point with this response section, it's that living out these principles through the MAP gives you. What new eyes.
Speaker 2:New eyes and maybe a new heart, to see and connect with these profound, simple truths wherever they appear, fostering mutual respect, understanding based on shared foundational values, even amidst theological differences.
Speaker 1:It's really something to see how this source, starting from a specific Christian text but framed through the lens of another wisdom tradition like the Tao Te Ching, arrives at these broad, almost universal themes that connect with so many others.
Speaker 2:That's the heart of it. I think Discovering these shared threads, showing how that internal renewal we talked about the renewal can actually lead to outward connection and understanding.
Speaker 1:So we've really taken a journey through chapter 70, haven't we, from its core paradoxes about divine communication and hidden worth, explored that practical MAP for personal renewal, mindset, aim, practice?
Speaker 2:Rounded in the Trinity.
Speaker 1:Right, and then expanded outwards to see how the source suggests these truths resonate across major world religions, empowering us. You listening to respond to division with understanding.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's presenting a vision where deep faith doesn't lead to isolation, but actually to a greater capacity for connection.
Speaker 1:And this whole exploration seems to bring us back to a really powerful, simple idea that the source itself uses near the end. It's a quote often attributed to Thomas Aquinas Truth cannot contradict truth.
Speaker 2:It won't clash with another truth, regardless where it comes from.
Speaker 1:And perhaps that's the final thought for you listening right now, this source encourages looking for those places where truth does align, even when the language or the tradition seems different on the surface. In a world that often feels so fractured, so complex, could exploring where these simple, profound truths about humility, about divine purpose, about inner value, resilience, could exploring where they show up in your own life, in your interactions, maybe be a powerful step towards greater understanding, both inwardly for yourself and outwardly with others.
Speaker 2:It's definitely something worth reflecting on.