Every day, at any given moment, we live life as a host or a hostage. We live as a host to God or as a hostage to the ego. Sadly, the majority of us live our lives as hostages to the ego.
The ego is the “self” in selfishness! It is that part of our personality that is personified by the unholy trinity; me, myself, and I! The characteristics of the hostage are quite easy to spot. The person who is a hostage to the ego is the person who insists on always having his or her way! That person is self-centered, self-absorbed, and is totally surprised when and if they finally come to realize (however, many hostages die as hostages) that the world really does not revolve around them. The hostage is unable to successfully relate to others because they are held captive by their own self. The hostage is easily offended and constantly feels the need to prove self-worth. Therefore, the hostage identifies with and measures self-worth by possessions and/or accomplishments. As a result of this attachment; loss and failure are seen as devastating and unacceptable results. Most marital conflicts, divorces, wars, and other human interpersonal conflicts occur because one or both of the parties involved are hostages!
The host is the individual who has come to the understanding that life is much bigger than the self! The host understands that the ultimate human goal (in the words of Stephen Covey) is not dependence or independence, but rather inter-dependence! The host knows that much more is accomplished with mutual cooperation and contribution. The host understands that each individual is an expression of God. Therefore the host respects and values each individual no matter what rank or status society has attached to them. The prince and the pauper, the king and the slave, the haves and the have-nots are equally respected and honored by the host because the host understands that a person’s real life has nothing to do with material possessions. The host is also comfortable in letting each person find their own way without imposing their own personal preferences upon them, understanding that freedom from the hostage situation can only be gain by the individual finding the way themselves. The host often seeks to teach, mentor, and advise, but is not offended when their efforts are rejected. The host lives life with a higher purpose than the accumulation of wealth and material success. However, because the host does not make those things their goal of life, often some degree of wealth and material success find their way into the life of the host.
Living life as a host to God is allowing God to live through the human personality. The Scriptures teach that to be the very reason for human creation and existence! According to the Bible, we were created in the image and likeness of God! We were created to be (like Jesus our ultimate model) physical and visible expressions of the invisible spiritual God! All of humanity was created to be individual hosts and the collective host to God! How about you today? Are you a host or a hostage?