Perception vs. reality

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” - 1 Corinthians 13:12

The 1996 novel and 1999 film Fight Club were never meant to be prescriptive.

They were written to be satire about disillusionment, the confusion men feel in modern society, and the toxic expressions of masculinity that manifest as a result. 

But something surprising happened. Many men started looking up to the main character as a hero. They felt seen and heard in the frustration he expressed, and they viewed him as someone to emulate. Men started embodying the very thing that was being critiqued. 

I find this story fascinating, not only because it illuminates our culture’s unhealthy view of masculinity, but because it also contains a deeper reminder:

We all tend to see the world as WE are. 

If we’re full of worry, we’ll expect the worst-case scenario in every situation. 

If we’re hurt and angry, we’ll experience a world where everyone is out to get us.

That’s why it’s so important for men to have a healthy model of masculinity through a relationship with Jesus.

As we become more like Christ, not only are our actions and behaviors transformed, but so are our perceptions and perspectives. 

We begin to see people to be loved.
Ways to serve.
And ourselves as we truly are: dearly beloved.

How does your experience of life reflect your inner thoughts and beliefs? 

What are some perspectives that might be worth questioning in light of who Jesus is?