Man in the Mirror - Reflections on the Rat Race

I am now reading Patrick Morley's book The Man in the Mirror. This is a study for Christian men designed to help us examine whether we are living according to our true priorities. Each chapter has questions for reflection and I will try to journal my responses here.


CHAPTER ONE - THE RAT RACE

1. "Most men are caught up in the rat race." Agree or Disagree? Why?

I definitely agree that most men are caught up in the rat race. We are constantly trying to prove our worth in the world and we are using the world's standards as our measure. We chase better jobs, bigger houses, faster cars. We do it even while proclaiming to be Christians. We try to justify our importance to others through our successes rather than through our faith and kindness.


2. If the rat race is an unwinnable race, why do you think so many men run it? What are they trying to accomplish?

I think that we are yearning for a sense of affirmation and purpose. Though we believe in our minds that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, we still want some proof that we are good and that others accept us. So we turn to the things that the world tells us over and over that we need in order to be accepted by others: good jobs, lots of material wealth, perfect bodies, etc.


3. In what ways has your material standard of living gone up since you were a child? In what ways do you think your moral/spiritual/relational standard of living has been affected?

From a purely material standpoint, I have a better standard of living than my parents did at my age. I live in a large four-bedroom house. We have two cars, central airconditioning, three televisions (all color), and cable tv. We have computers and internet. We have a microwave oven, a dishwasher, and upgraded appliances.

But I know that this material wealth has wounded me spiritually. For most of my life I have relied on credit to buy things. I have bought into the lie that everyone has these things, that I am entitled to these things, and that I'll have plenty of money later to pay them off. All of these things in my life have weighed my spirit down. I experience stress and jealousy due to my investment in things. They haven't made me happier - they have let me down.


4. It appears that many men have been lulled into mental and spiritual complacency. How has consumerism impacted your own values and the way you spend money?

I think that consumerism has helped to make me prideful and selfish. It has also weakened my faith.

I am prideful because I look at what I have purchased and believe that shows that I must be successful. I am selfish because I constantly think about the next thing that I want. I think my faith is weakened because I place my trust for safety in my things rather than in God. I feel independent and self-sufiicient.

++