Monday, August 25, 2008

Internal and External Conversion

We are all called to be conversionists, regardless of the environment. Be it the Christian sector or the World. Seriously there are really no separation between the world and the Christian sector because all these are just part of a human made up barrier. It all depends on which side you choose to stand and what values you embrace. Now Jesus himself is God, yet He is as humane as he can be, suffering and going through temptations like you and me. Is there really a line to be drawn?

But one thing I know, there are 2 theories which God has shown me these past week - the internal and external conversion models.

The verse which best sums this 2 theories up are taken from Matt28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,"

In this short verse we see a combination of external and internal conversions.
Making disciples can be considered as an internal conversion, be it us coming more like Christ or we actively discipling people in the values and ways of God. External conversion tells us to make disciples of all nations. There is no sequence as to which type of conversion should come first. This is more like a chicken and egg thing. Nonetheless, we can see in this same verse that there are 2 other entities mentioned. God who is in the heavens and Jesus and the Holy Spirit who were sent to the world. God represents the internal being and Jesus and the Holy Spirit as the external being. It all happens like this, God saves us and then we tell others about Jesus as well as baptizing them in the Holy Spirit.
Let's take the internal and external conversion theory to the workplace.
To have the perfect balance, we need to change something inside and something outside. Alot of policies changes affect merely the internal component and operations, but they hardly change what is outside, the customers, the buying experience, the company's branding. Therefore, what we change inside must have a meaning and impact on what is outside. What we change on the outside, must affect what we change on the inside. We cannot be so good at selling things and clinching multiple gigantic deals without also upgrading system and process infrastructures. In a nutshell we cannot sell what we dont have and cannot do without. On the other hand, we should never be overly concerned about streamlining our processes and championing many internal improvisation without making sense to whom do we need certain processes for.

This is the same as our walk with God as well. We cannot just worship God, dwell in our prayer closet and do nothing to the world out there. Not just in winning the lost but improving our living conditions, excelling in our jobs and lending a shoulder for some poor kids to cry on.
Neither can we always be so focused on ministry and changing the world, that we neglect our personal walk with God.

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