Something Greater

 

Recently I noticed an ad for the Marines with the slogan: Are You Ready to Commit to Something Greater than Yourself?  No doubt this ad has been effective in persuading lots of young people to enlist in the Marines. It is a high impact message. I think it strikes a chord in us because God placed a need inside of us to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.

People seek to fill this need with lots of stuff. People join organizations, health clubs, and country clubs. People spend up to thousands of dollars to watch the Super Bowl in person when they could watch it from the comfort of their living room. Why? We as a culture have decided the Super Bowl is a big deal, and people want to be a part of it, to witness it firsthand and to be a part of the energy and roar of the crowd.

Lots of people show up at Church for similar reasons. You can read your Bible at home or watch church services on TV, but there is something about learning and worshipping elbow to elbow, shoulder to shoulder with like-minded others. The book of Hebrews cautions us not to forsake gathering together for a reason. God created us social beings. We need one another in ways we don’t usually even recognize.

In the twelfth Chapter of his letter to the Romans, Paul points to God’s reason for giving people this need to be a part of something bigger. Often quoted out of context, when read together, these verses actually build his case:

“12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Paul is talking about being committed to something greater than yourself. Presenting our bodies as living sacrifices runs in direct conflict with the pattern of this world which is competition and self-promotion. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (What is God’s will? Paul is about to tell us…)

³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Our minds are transformed as we embrace the upside-down Kingdom where the first become last and the shared goal is service for the benefit of others. In this context, to think more highly of ourselves than we should is to imagine ourselves to be self-sufficient. The truth Paul teaches us here is that no individual gets all the gifts. We are interdependent by design. We need each other.  ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your^[a] faith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,^[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” (Bold text is my commentary.)

Not thinking more highly of ourselves than we should in this context just means knowing who God wants you to be in the Body of Christ (i.e., how he wants you to serve others). Conversely it means accepting who you are not, and not judging others because they lack your particular gift (when God has another plan for them entirely).

Here’s the take-away. None of us is all that on our own. But together, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are the Body of Christ, and that’s pretty great!

For the Body of Christ to function as it should, each part is needed to join the others for the Glory of Jesus. As we press on to the finish line, picking one another up when we stumble, pushing and pulling one another along when we hesitate, cheering one another on when we grow weary, let’s fix our eyes on Him who called us to be a part of something—something greater than ourselves.

Something to Boast About

Boasting is everywhere. Last weekend, as Billy Crystal puts it, there was a huge gathering in Hollywood, where millionares gave one another gold statues. Hollywood is a rather easy target for conservative Christians, but what about the country music industry (indeed the Christian music industry), and even local artists (wherever you may be)? It is all to easy to fall into self congratulatory patterns. I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 13 which states, among other things, "love does not boast." Jesus' words, in contrast to  his currently politically correct repackaged image, were harsh on the matter: "How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?"(John 5:44) This kind of self-congratulatory praise is not in accordance with the love of God which is freely given, freely recieved and freely passed on to others. A self-oriented focus is an enemy of intimacy with God and others (even if the focus is negative).

All that being said, it may come as something of a surprise in Philippians 2 that Paul comes out and says that he longs to boast. After all, he is the same apostle who penned the words "love does not boast." As is often the case in Scripture, there is a time for everything...even boasting!

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. (Philippians 2:14-16)

Paul's labor, which he goes on to describe as an offering, was on their behalf and to the glory of Jesus. Yet, he is motivated to boast that these labors created lasting ripples for the Kingdom. As he states elsewhere, every soldier wants to please the one who enlisted him. He was enlisted by Christ on the road to Damascus. He longs to hear--well done, good and faithful servant, come enter into your reward.

I think it is safe to conclude that it is not a selfish thing to think in terms of eternal rewards. Whatever they are, they are tossed at the feet of Jesus anyway. But the words well done are ours to keep even as we remember it is God who works in us, both to desire and to do the good works he has prepared for us.

There is another aspect here that needs mention. Those who came before us and invested in us deserve our best--they count on us to do everything without arguing or complaining and to shine like stars holding out the word of life--so that their labors on our behalf will not be in vain. So much rides on our attitudes, and Paul focuses on the eternal ramifications of them here. Jesus will tell many "performers" to go away because he never knew them (there was no loving abiding relationship, only deeds). Here, Paul focuses on the heart of the matter: Christlike humility and love flowing through us for the benefit of others. As we serve others and see this heart duplicated in them, we definitely have something to boast about!



I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.  3 John 1:4

Humble Like Jesus

When you read short bios of now famous people, frequently you stumble upon the idea that the celebrity came from humble beginnings. In other words, the beginnings of their lives were not that impressive; no one would think twice about them. Nothing about their environment or heritage caught anyone's attention. Humble is like that...it does not say, "Hey, look at me!"

In Paul's letter to the Philippian church, he calls them to have the same attitude as Jesus, being grounded in his comforting love, tender compassion, and unified in spirit. Doing nothing out of vain conceit, they are, in humility, to consider others better than themselves. They are to look not only to their own interests, but also to the interest of others. (2:1-5)

The attitude of Christ is then described: being God, he did not cling to his status but "made himself nothing," that is, he emptied himself, taking the very nature of a servant in the form of a human:

And being found in appearance as a human, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! (2:8)

The truth is, the life of Jesus sometimes flies in the face of what we consider a humble man. There, I said it. No disrespect intended, of course. The fact is, Jesus made some pretty astounding statements: No one comes to the Father except through me; I will return to judge the world; I am (God). He repeatedly put the religious authorities in their place, and spoke with an authority that would today be considered dogmatism. He knew who he was (is). Yet his humility is seen in his submission to God the Father, to fulfill his will (for our sakes), living a perfect life and sacrificing that life for us on the cross.

If we follow his example, if we have his attitude, we will find our identity in him. Far from putting ourselves down (as some understand humility), we will find and fulfill our unique role in the Kingdom, not to gain praise or approval of people, but as servants. Remembering that we are human (not gods), we will humble ourselves and become obedient to God. In losing our lives, we find them. And with our lives in him, we encounter the joy that comes from an eternal perspective--our small sacrifices are a blip on the radar screen of eternity.

Motives of the Heart

Crime dramas can shock us, but they can also inform us. I find it interesting that the legal system is so invested in determining motive. In some cases, even when it is known that one person took another's life, the issue of motive can make the difference between a few years imprisonment and the death penalty. Motives are huge.

As Paul continues to weave a rich and varied tapestry in Philippians 2, he cautions the readers regarding their motives:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

This verse at first might even seem out of place in the otherwise poetically beautiful and positive passage. Paul invested the majority of Chapter 1 expressing his deep affection and appreciation for the church in Philippi. He has started Chapter 2 emphasizing the spiritual benefits of connection with Christ. He has asked the readers to make his joy complete by being united in mind, spirit, and purpose. Now, in this little verse, he does what Scripture is known to do, he shines a light on the thoughts and intentions of the heart. He challenges them to check their motives.

In I Corinthians 13, Paul taught that even the most dramatically supernatural gifts exercised without love, count for nothing, amounting to just so much noise. Even the good things we do need to come from the Holy Spirit within us, not from our own fleshly desires to look good or to gain attention or approval.

Perhaps you know someone who embodies this virtue, especially the part about considering others better than ourselves. I once heard  about a scholar who was invited to a program which he did not know was in his honor as it was a surprise for him. This man was accompanied onto the stage by a colleague. When the crowd burst into applause, the honored man immediately turned and began to applaud the colleague! It never even occurred to him that he was the object of such applause. He assumed the other man was more deserving of honor. I think this is what Paul is talking about. He wants us to focus so on the strength and beauty of the Spirit in each other that we are sincerely honored to share life with one another.

As we exercise our gifts, some people will express their approval. I like the analogy of the donkey at the triumphal entry...what if the colt thought the "hosannas" were for him? Remember the King we serve and,  look for him in one another's eyes. This is our challenge and our blessing. Seek him in the hearts of your brothers and sisters, and you will find him there.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3