04/07/2026
In a lecture for the Nazarene Bible College, Dr. John M. Hanna stated, “In our pre converted state, we are mired in an unholy trinity of me, myself, and I as the world revolved around us and our selfish ambitions and fleshly desires. At some point, by divine grace, we encounter the Trinitarian God of the Bible and our focus is taken off of unholy me, myself, and I and onto the holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Spirit.” The depth of this statement is deceiving and not readily apparent. It triggered a long thought exercise for me that never truly resolved itself. We rarely think about it, but the words me, myself, and I all describe the same person, while simultaneously describing three slightly different essences of that person. Three inseparable essences that are virtually impossible to describe. I do things, things are done to or for me. I can also do things for myself, by myself. God, on the other hand, is one being, with three inseparable essences that he can reveal to us separately, because our minds are finite, and cannot truly comprehend the infinite nature of God.
It is easy for us to get caught up in ourselves. Whether we understand ourselves or not (it is my opinion that most of us do not) we can sense or quantify the benefits of actions taken by ourselves or others that bring a reward of some type, pleasure, pride, comfort, et cetera. Yet, when we finally have that definitive encounter with the Trinitarian God of our salvation, the id - me, myself, and I - suddenly becomes much less important than it was. Our priorities begin to align with God’s increasingly as we progress in our spiritual formation. - Pastor Carl
Quote taken from: Hanna, Dr. John M. “Doxological Worship and Trinitarian Ministry.” Nazarene Bible College. 2019
