What Is Transcendence?

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” – Ephesians 3:20-21. 

Have you ever wished to be a part of something far bigger than your own small existence? Have you wanted to invest yourself in something truly worthwhile? As Christians, we all long to live transcendent lives.  

But we live in a culture that has institutionalized self-focus and personal entitlement. Often times that means we need to be rescued from ourselves. Things like debt, addiction, etc. are the results of an inward focus for meaning in our lives.  But God wants so much more for us. He wants us to live transcendent lives. 

Living a transcendent life means that what you think, desire, say, and do is driven by something bigger than personal wants, needs, and feelings. God’s purpose for our lives is to transcend our self-oriented existence and to be part of something bigger than our definition of happiness. Transcendence begins by determining a purpose for our lives. At the most basic level, transcendence means I am choosing what I’m choosing, doing what I’m doing, and saying what I am saying, not for my purposes, but for the sake of God’s eternal agenda for this world.  In other words, it means living for the glory of God and for furthering His kingdom.  

To accomplish that, we need to be aware that we tend to shrink our life down to the size of our own wants, needs, and feelings. The immediate, mundane details of life can tempt us to settle for less than God’s glory by leading our focus away from God’s kingdom and God’s glory toward our own kingdoms. Living for God’s gloy does not mean abandoning the immediate, mundane details of life, but rather living where He has placed us in the immediate, mundane details of life. It is in this way that our lives will have purpose.

In a “reach for the stars, be anything you can be” culture, the idea that pursuing any dream could ruin my life seems foreign. The more I think about it, though, the more I see that living outside God’s purpose – no matter how good the intent – is a recipe for failure.  

Yet, when we give up our dreams for something greater – for Someone greater than ourselves – we begin to see we can trust God no matter what. We find comfort in the incredible peace that comes with knowing that even if life here includes sorrow or dreams unfulfilled, there is a God that transcends not only all that’s missing in this life, but also all the good this life has to offer.

God is inviting us to set aside all the busyness, distractions and pleasures that we have become accustomed to, and instead live the transcendent life He has planned for us. 

Discussion Questions:

1. What does living a transcendent life mean to you? 
2. How is it possible to live a “Christian life” while settling for “below and less” instead of living for “above and more”?