Opening Someone Else’s Present

Harare-based expats working for international aid organisations have fallen into the lap of luxury. Living in opulent houses with tennis courts and swimming pools, they drive the latest model SUVs and wait impatiently for their generators to switch on automatically after yet another power cut. Whilst their wives apply themselves to a gruelling circuit of Harare’s best coffee shops and restaurants, the husbands toil in air-conditioned offices, safe from the ravages of the most clement climate in the world. It requires sacrifice to help the poor! And, in the name of all that is right and fair, they must be rewarded accordingly.

                It may come as no surprise, then, that only a few cents in every dollar donated end up reaching the intended beneficiaries. Recently, donors have found this (understandably) offensive. It hardly seems right for those that have been entrusted with passing on a gift to use it for their own luxury.

Yet how often do you and I do the same thing? The fact that you can access this blog on the internet via your own PC or laptop places you amongst some of the most privileged, materially blessed people on the globe. But here’s the rub: what qualifies you to be the beneficiary of such privilege? How many of the material blessings you enjoy can be attributed directly to you? How would things be different today if you had been born a Dinka tribesman in the Sudan?

One might say, “I work hard for the money I earn every month”. But so do gardeners in Harare; and some have bosses that earn 25 to 50 times what they do. Is a boss 25 times more worthy of reward than his employee? Reader, you and I do not deserve the material blessings we receive. They are a gift from God. Paul calls your income a grace (1 Cor. 9:8), namely something that is not earned or deserved, but that is freely given by God.

But is the abundance God gives us intended for us alone, or does He have other beneficiaries in mind? Has he entrusted us with gifts that were not intended not for luxury but for needs?

In 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, Paul encourages the Christians at Corinth to take up an offering for their poor brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. He writes:

“Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality,15 as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.”

From this we see that your “harvest” can be “too much” if you spend it all on yourself. When God gives me a plentiful harvest, I may take some for my own needs, but the rest God gave me to pass on (cf 2 Cor. 9:8-11). Yet how often do we spend on our own luxury what God intended to meet another’s need?

When God gives you a gift or talent, it is almost always intended for someone else. Take the spiritual gift of healing - it is a gift in my hands for someone that needs healing. It is not a gift that I may open for myself.

Is the mind enough?

Do you think that giving should be decided in the mind? That is to say, on the basis of reason and facts alone. Paul’s description of the Macedonian Church in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 has got me wondering. The Macedonians, rather than begging for money, begged for the opportunity to give it away. They were legendary givers. The kind of people one would like to emulate.

But was their desire to give rational or practical? It would appear not. At the time, the Macedonians were extremely poor and groaning under a severe trial. Surely giving in such circumstances was at best illogical and at worst reckless? Yet Paul, inspired as he was by God, held them up as a role model for the Corinthian Church. Against all odds, these faithful Christians were rich in generosity. And since Paul’s desire was not “that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed”, we must assume that the Macedonians were not “hard pressed” as a result of their giving. In short, they made a Godly decision which continues to inspire us today.

It is has been said that hind sight is 20/20 vision. Looking back, we can see clearly a kind of “kingdom logic” to what the Macedonians did - logic that transcends the normal way of looking at things. “Kingdom logic” says: God enabled the Macedonians to give beyond their ability so that He would be glorified in their giving. Hence “Kingdom logic” may call me to give beyond my ability, beyond what makes sense on the basis of projected income and expenditure. Giving based on such “kingdom logic” seems irrational, but it makes rational sense when we see things from God’s point of view.

At the beginning, I defined decisions of the mind as being based on reason and facts. As we have seen, “Kingdom logic” provides a different basis for our reasoning. Although it might seem unreasonable to a non-believer, it is perfectly logical within a Christian world view. How about basing decisions on facts? Never forget that we seldom, if ever, have all the facts that bear on a decision. Once again, with hindsight, it is apparent that God provided what the Macedonians required to meet their own needs along with something extra for the poor in Jerusalem. But at the time, the Macedonians did not know whether God would come through for them and how He would do it. I wonder whether they had a clear understanding of the “kingdom logic” that under-pinned their decision – probably not. Yet they made a God-glorifying, faith-requiring decision.

Where did the Macedonians make their decision? Paul sheds some light on the subject when he says, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give” (2 Cor. 9:7). Thus  giving is a decision of the heart rather than the mind. I did some reading to find out more about Paul’s conception of the heart. Dunn explains that in Paul’s writings the heart (kardia) is “the integrating centre of man as a rational, emotional, volitional (having a will) being”. Thus, in the words of Chamblin, “the heart may be enlightened (Eph 1:18); it may experience anguish (2 Cor 2:4); and it is from the heart that one obeys (Rom 6:17)”.

Therefore, the heart integrates or combines rational thinking, emotions and the will in order to help us make a decision about giving. This seems like a far healthier, holistic way of making a decision. Yes, the mind is employed, but we recognise its limitations. We take into account the facts but recognise that we will never have them all. We base our reasoning on “kingdom logic”, bringing to bear Biblical principles and truths but recognising that our reasoning will always have gaps this side of heaven.

The limitations of the mind point to the need for taking into account the evidence of the emotions and will. If we ask God to sanctify our emotions and will, surely they can provide testimony that is as reliable as the mind’s? For example, God may give me excitement or compassion for a particular giving opportunity. Such emotions must be taken into account, even when the mind is saying: “irrational”; “impractical”. Further, we know that God can give us the will to do something (Nehemiah 2:12 is a good example of this). If you pray on a daily basis “thy will be done”, maybe the desire you have to give is from God!

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give”. The possibilities are exciting - not so?

Thanks for everything

I am not so hot on thankfulness. I get obsessed with the things that are not, taking for granted the good things that are. I focus on what I want rather than on what I have. Recently, I have been disgracefully ungrateful!

But God challenged all of this on a recent leadership conference. One of the speakers was Jim Collins, best-selling author and business thinker. Collins recommends “counting your blessings” as a useful practice for leaders. Why - because he has observed that teams headed for failure are often led by people that have become infected with the “hubris born of success”. Success can go to a leader’s head causing hubris or outrageous arrogance.

Collins argues that a leader may counter hubris by listing at least 100 blessings before noting just how few of these successes can be attributed solely to himself. This humbling exercise is a good antidote to hubris.

The fact that there are benefits to thanksgiving should come as no surprise to Christians, for the Bible contains repeated exhortations to be thankful. For example, the Apostle Paul makes this sweeping command: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Col 3:17)”. Further, Paul maintains that mankind’s slide into destruction began because “although they knew God [by observing creation], they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him (Rom 1:21)”.

Both these verses underline the importance of glorifying God and thanking Him. The command to glorify God in the Colossians verse is expressed in the words “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus”. When you do something “in the name of Jesus”, you do it as His representative. That is to say, you do it the way Jesus would have, hence displaying His character. This glorifies God by showing those that can’t see Him what He is like.

You are probably aware of the Christian’s call to glorify God. But how often do you neglect thankfulness?

I am sure you can guess what I did when I got back from Joburg last Wednesday. I wrote a list of 100 things in my life I can thank God for. As the list grew, I could feel low level depression and dissatisfaction lifting. So when are you going to start writing?

I Kid You Not

You would not believe the things people pester me with just thirty seconds before I am supposed to start the Sunday morning service. Picture the scene: I am trying to re-tune my guitar. Johnny knocked it over. Don’t ask me why. It happened, and I could wring his scrawny neck – in love of course.

Henry is waving a colossal bunch of keys in my face. The school has changed the lock on classroom 23 without telling anybody, and Kingdom Kids has nowhere to meet, so do I know which key opens classroom 24? This of course is a very reasonable question. You see, the pastor knows EVERYTHING – he is God’s representative on earth and God is omniscient after all, so surely the pastor is intimately acquainted with the shape of the key to classroom 24.

I turn away from Henry so that he won’t see me grinding my teeth. But there is no relief. Someone else is hovering on my opposite side. Do I know who is doing the notices today? Yes I do. So who is it? I am doing the notices today. Did we know that it was Gerty’s birthday last Sunday?  No we did not know that it was Gerty’s birthday last Sunday ... why do you ask? Well, it wasn’t announced. This is hardly surprising because we did not know about the birthday, but the traumatised mother is getting at something else. So I graciously admit to this heinous crime and ask for forgiveness. But my jaws are clenched alarmingly tight, and there is a deep frown gouged into my forehead.

If things continue in this vein, I will probably spoil church by screaming insanely. Maybe if I close my eyes and pretend to be praying in tongues, the beloved flock will relent. I bow my head and try to tune my guitar whilst appearing to pray. Who says a man cannot multi-task. And no, in case you are wondering, I didn’t learn these skills at Harare Theological College.

Surely they will not bother me now? But the sheep are not finished with me yet. Out of the corner of my eye I see a pair of immaculately polished high-heeled shoes. There is yet another person waiting to talk to me. I begin to pray more fervently. One of the shoes starts tapping on the ground. Oh Lord, have mercy! My whispered prayers are getting desperate. Then ... a tortoise swims into my field of vision. Yes, I kid you not, a tortoise, complete with scraggy neck and legs that are doing breast-stroke!

“Ian, look at this: it’s a tortoise.” So it is! Mrs X is entirely right. It IS a tortoise. My head is swimming and everything is taking on a surreal quality. Is this a pet that Mrs X brought to church? Or did she invite it to an Alpha course and now it wants to join Harvest? I know most people want to meet the pastor when they visit a church for the first time – but a tortoise?

“Wow,” I exclaim “does it have a name?”

“No,” she answers, so I go back to tuning the guitar.

“What do YOU want to do with it?”

To be honest, I don’t want anything to do with it. After all, she found it. But Mrs X is holding the tortoise out at arm’s length, willing me to take it off her. But I have a guitar in my hands, and I’m not letting it go ... not for anything!

“Where did you find it?” I ask, trying to buy some time.

“Underneath my chair...do you know where it came from?” There it is again: the omniscience of pastors is a given - keys, tortoises or whatever, just ask me about it. I am bound to know. I look at my watch. It is 9:00am.

“Sorry Mrs X, I must get the service started.”

I stand up and greet the church.

“Welcome to Harvest. It is such a blessing to be together this morning. If you are visiting for the first time, then please join us for a lettuce – I beg your pardon, a cup of tea - after the service.”

The Biggest Adventure of Your Life

Have you noticed that there is a limit to what can be learned about a loved one simply by observation? We learn the deepest, most intimate details about someone through revelation; that is to say, through the self-disclosure of our beloved. And getting to know people in this way is relatively straightforward, provided that we are prepared to listen and ask the right questions. But how do we develop a deep knowledge of our most significant Beloved given that He is invisible and seldom talks to us with audible words?

The good news is that our Beloved is the one who takes the initiative! Paul wrote to the Ephesians: “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better” (1:17). God has given us His Spirit through Whom He reveals Himself. Why? “so that” – purpose – “[we] may know him better”.

It would delight Jesus to reveal His heart to you, and God has given you His Spirit to make it possible. Paul thought that the need to know Jesus was so important that he placed it at the top of his list of prayer requests for the Ephesians. Indeed, Paul underlined the importance of the request by its repetition: “I have not stopped ... I keep asking” (1:16&17).  And Paul’s dogged prayers remind us that God delights to reveal Himself to those that persistently ask Him to – are you? Ask Jesus to bear His heart to you. In fact, keep asking and do not stop!

Paul develops the theme of knowing Christ further in 4:20-24. Here, Paul is in the process of describing a “life worthy of the calling you have received” (4:1), emphasising the need for purity. He begins by contrasting life before and after salvation, exhorting the Ephesians to live the latter. Significantly, it is coming to “know Christ” (v20) that liberates us from the futile thinking (v17), the darkened understanding and the lifelessness (v18) of the old life.

Therefore, let us look at verses 20 and 21 in a little more detail. It is momentous to discover that not only is Christ the subject (“learn Christ”) and teacher (“heard Christ”), but He is also the place of learning. For Paul writes that the Ephesians were “taught in Him”. It is the Spirit in you that places you in Christ, and since the Spirit is in you all the time, it is possible for you to “learn Christ” in every moment and circumstance of your life! Could this discovery change the trajectory of your life? May your reply be a resounding YES!

However, you must translate the possible into the actual. Let us not forget that we are attempting to answer a “how” question: how can I seek the self disclosure of my beloved Saviour so that I may know Him better? The basis for Christ’s self disclosure has already been established: God has given us the Spirit of revelation who places us in Christ, making every moment an opportunity to learn Christ. To activate a learning relationship with Christ, we must seek it daily through prayer.

In verses 22 to 24, Paul provides two more keys for translating the possible into the actual. He uses the image of dressing and undressing to describe salvation. His point is clear: to enjoy an intimate relationship with Jesus, you must be converted.

But the quest for relationship doesn’t end with conversion. The process of getting to know Christ continues as you are “made new in the attitude of your mind”. What does it mean to be made new in the attitude of the mind? The word translated “attitude” may be translated “spirit”. So Paul is not referring to a particular set of beliefs or world view but rather a mind-set or posture of the mind. What sort of attitude or mind-set would make you a good student of Jesus? Good students have a teachable attitude; they want to learn; and - perhaps most importantly - they are willing to obey their teacher.

The tense of the verb “to be made new” in the Greek describes an action which is ongoing. This is because man’s biggest, ongoing struggle is submission and obedience to God. You want to run your life in your own way and on your own terms. Therefore, you must renew the attitude of your mind daily, reminding yourself of the need to submit and obey.

The biggest adventure of your life awaits you. The Creator of all things and yet the Lover of your soul is longing to reveal Himself to you. He wants to become your teacher. Every passing moment and each daily experience could become a means to knowing Him better. And it all starts with conversion. Then it grows with a desire to be a student of Jesus, a desire expressed daily through prayer. Jesus will reveal Himself to those that long to know Him more. And finally, it is cultivated by renewing the attitude of the mind – seeking and developing a teachable attitude characterised by a submissive and obedient spirit.