Service | Tactical Christianity

As We Serve, We Grow

by R. Herbert | Feb 5, 2017 | Service

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:5-6).

The Church at Philippi in Asia Minor is often said to have been Paul’s favorite congregation. It is not that he did not love all those with whom he worked, of course, but his letter to the Philippians shows a special affection for them and their dedication to the work of God.

As he begins his epistle Paul states how he gives continual thanks for the Philippians because of their “partnership in the gospel” (vs. 5), but then he continues the thought by saying that their work in the gospel gave him great confidence that God would complete his work of transformation in them.

This is a vital thought in Paul’s theology. He is not saying, of course, that because of the Philippians’ good deeds God will complete his work in them – we have all of Paul’s letters to show that this could not be what he meant. So what exactly did Paul mean?

When we read the epistle to Philippi in its entirety, it is clear that Paul was stressing his certainty that because of their dedication to the work of God and the love that showed, the Philippians would naturally be living in such a way that God would be able to fulfill his purpose in them as individuals. Look at what Paul tells us a few verses later in the first chapter:

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11).

Here, if we need to see it, we find clear expression of the fact that Paul is not talking about the Philippians’ own works of righteousness. He specifically states that what they are doing is a result of their being “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ” (vs. 10b). But Paul makes it equally clear that they will be filled with this fruit of righteousness as they continue to grow in love (vss. 9, 11).

Putting all these verses together, we see that Paul equates the Philippians’ love with their partnership in the Gospel – their selfless dedication to the salvation of others. He shows (in verses 6 and 10) that that the expression of that love through God’s work will lead to their own growth.

If this seems in any way like complex theology, its principle is profoundly simple: the more we concentrate on the welfare and development of others, the more God can and will develop us personally. It is a simple truth that the way to maximum spiritual transformation and growth is often not through self-focused spiritual exercise, but through the other-focused work of love that we are called to do.

Giving What We Receive

by R. Herbert | Mar 13, 2016 | Giving, Service

“I do give a portion of what I earn each month,” April confided to her Christian friend, “but I feel I could be doing more.” Do you ever get that feeling? Perhaps we all do, and perhaps we all should.

Most Christians understand the principle of being “blessed to be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2-3): that one of the reasons God blesses us is to enable us to help others; but many of us limit the understanding of that principle to financial and material blessings. Those things are certainly an important part of our giving, but we do not need to stop there. While we may acknowledge intellectually that life is much more than just money and material things, it’s sometimes hard to really apply that understanding as we should. Often we do not see blessings that we can share with others because we do not always think of them as an abundance of something that other people need.

The apostle Paul stresses our ability to help others in a number of non-material ways – beyond sharing the truth with them – and perhaps nowhere more so than in his letters to the Galatians and Romans where we find similar themes expounded. Here are four non-material blessings to which Paul alludes directly or indirectly in those letters – gifts that we can share with others:

Time: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10). We may know this scripture well, but we don’t always equate opportunity with time. Are you retired? Between jobs? Have some time on your hands? Ask yourself to what extent you give of the time you have and think about how you can share the blessing of time you have been given.

Health: “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves” (Romans 15:1). Paul’s mention of this principle is in a wider context than just physical health, but it does apply there. Do you enjoy good health – or even reasonably good health? Ask yourself to what extent you give of the health you have and think about how you can share the blessing of health you have been given. It could be in service or in simple encouragement to those in poor health.

Skills: “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us…” (Romans 12:6). Although Paul is talking primarily about spiritual gifts in Romans 12, the principle applies in other areas, just as he speaks of gifts of teaching, giving and leading (vss. 7-8). Do you have specialized knowledge or training in an area with which you can help others? If you have medical, financial or legal training there are a number of ways you can help those in need, but there are many other types of knowledge that can be shared by helping those without the training you may have.

Peace of mind: “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (Romans 14:19). Primarily, in this verse, Paul is speaking about peace as the opposite of strife, yet the principle can be applied to the “mutual edification” that comes from helping others to develop the peace of mind we may have. Peace of mind means a simple absence of warring emotions, doubts and fears. If we have that blessing, it is one we can share if we look for opportunities to do so.

These are just some basic areas in which we can share the non-material blessings we have. Even if we are poor, we may have time we can give. If we do not have enough time, we may have health we can share; if not enough health, we may have knowledge or skills we can use to help others. Even if we have none of these things, if we have peace of mind, that is in itself a blessing that we can share with others. We just need to get into the habit of seeing the blessings we have and asking ourselves what we can do to share those non-material things – to fulfill the purpose of being blessed to be a blessing to others.

A Burden to Carry – or Not?

by R. Herbert | Apr 19, 2015 | Difficult Scriptures, Service, Updates

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ … for each one should carry their own load” (Galatians 6:2-5).

On the surface, these two statements of the apostle Paul – only a few words from each other – certainly seem contradictory, but are they?

First, we should recognize that ancient literature often compares and contrasts opposite situations – just as in the biblical proverbs that say “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him” (Proverbs 26:4) and “Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes” (Proverbs 26:5). The two thoughts are complementary, each giving part of the story. Paul frequently uses this same technique of contrasting opposites in his epistles (for example, Philippians 2:12-13, 2 Corinthians 6:8-10, 2 Corinthians 7:10, 2 Corinthians 12:10), and what Paul states in Galatians 6 is complementary in the same way.

When Paul tells us we should carry each other’s burdens then that we must carry our own loads, he uses two slightly different words. The first word, translated “burdens” in verse 2 (Greek baré), always connotes the weight of the burdens and stresses the “burdensome” nature of what is carried. The word translated “load” in verse 5 (phortion) was often applied to the pack carried by a soldier on the march. It can connote something heavy or light, whatever has been assigned to the individual. It is the word Christ used when he said “My yoke is easy, and my load is light” (Matthew 11:30) and when he spoke of the heavy loads the Pharisees placed on their followers (Matthew 23:4).

We see what Paul had in mind regarding the load each one must carry when we look at the immediately preceding verse: “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else” (Galatians 6:4). Paul shows here that rather than comparing ourselves unwisely with others, we should look at our own situations and “test” or check our own standing, because we all stand alone before God in terms of His assessment. Paul is stressing – as he states next – that each person has individual responsibilities that no one else can carry. We must prove own standing before God, as no one can perform our religion or fulfill our beliefs for us. That is the “pack” assigned to us for our march. On the other hand, life has many difficulties and problems that weigh us down, and Paul reminds us that these are burdens we can help each other with.

So, Paul’s meaning is clear. We are all given the responsibilities of our faith to bear in life and these are things we must shoulder and bear willingly as good soldiers on the route march to which we have been called. Yet, if we are walking with God and not entirely by our own strength, as Christ showed, those loads need not be oppressive or heavy. On the other hand, every one of us carries the weight of personal problems and difficulties which are just part of life. We can certainly look to God for extra help in times when those burdens become oppressive – and one of the ways He answers that prayer is through help given us by fellow believers.

We all have a burden we are expected to carry, but the more closely we walk with God the lighter it seems – and the more we are able to help those who need help with their own burdens.

What the Cavemen Learned

by R. Herbert | Sep 14, 2014 | Problems, Service, Strategic Notes

I’m not talking about prehistoric Neanderthal or Cro-Magnon “cavemen” here – I’m actually thinking of two men of God who at different times in biblical history both learned important lessons at the back of a cave.

These men were both successful in their own fields – one a warrior and one a man of religion. Both were used to life around palaces and nice homes, but both men lost everything they had and fled in depression and fear for their lives – to the back of a cave.

The first man was King David. 1 Samuel 22 tells us that when the jealous Saul stepped up his campaign to kill the young shepherd-warrior, David finally fled to a mountain cave where he holed up in depression, frustration and fear. The other man was Elijah, and in 1 Kings 19 we see that when the wicked Jezebel threatened his life, Elijah also “caved” under the pressure and ran for many miles, to the back of a cave on Mount Horheb – where he stayed, apparently in fear, frustration and anger.

There are times in our lives when psychologically we find ourselves in the back of a cave, too. We understand that some depression is physically caused and must be treated as such, but sometimes we find ourselves in the dark cave of depression or despair due to discouragement and difficulties. This is because fleeing to the inner parts of our minds is a very human reaction and sometimes seems like the only way to survive. Unfortunately, it becomes easy to stay there. It’s not that we are comfortable in the cave of depression, but the longer we stay there, the harder it becomes to leave. That’s why in both biblical stories of God’s servants who fled to physical caves, the first thing we see in the way God turned these situations around was that he commanded both men to leave the cave they were in.

In David’s case, God sent a prophet to David to specifically tell him he had spent enough time in the cave and that it was time to leave. “… The prophet Gad said to David, ‘Do not stay in the [cave] stronghold’” (1 Samuel 22:5), so, uncomfortable as it was to do, at God’s command David left the cave. We see exactly the same with Elijah. “The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord …’” (1 Kings 19:11). God patiently listened to the reasons Elijah gave for his depression, anger and fear, but he nevertheless firmly told him to come out of the cave. It probably wasn’t psychologically easy for them, but both men obeyed in faith. They may not have seen a reason to leave the cave, yet once they realized it was God’s will they obeyed.

So, God understands when we sometimes flee to the cave, but he is just as clear in telling us we must not stay there. And God goes a step further – as the wise Physician he is, he prescribes what we need in order to stay out of the cave. In both the stories of David and of Elijah, God prescribed exactly the same spiritual medicine. When he instructed David to leave the cave, we see the next thing he did was to tell David to go help the people of Keilah who were being attacked by the Philistines: “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah” (1 Samuel 23:1-2). And when Elijah obediently stepped out of his cave, God immediately told him to go to Damascus and instructed him: “… When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat …” (1 Kings 19:15-16).

God doesn’t just tell us to pull ourselves together and leave the cave of depression. He tells us to leave – and to go help someone who needs help. Finding ourselves in a “cave” is something that even some of the greatest of God’s servants have experienced, but the way out was the same for them as it is for us. We overcome this problem only when we realize God doesn’t want us to live in the cave and that his prescription for cave fever is often to go help someone. It’s as though God knows that the only way for us to effectively stay out of the cave is not just to get busy, but to get busy serving others.

That is how God helps us get our focus off our own problems – by getting us to focus on and help others whose problems are so often so much worse than our own.

What Do You See?

by R. Herbert | Sep 11, 2014 | Service, The Life of Jesus

Have you ever noticed, when reading the Gospels, how often we are told that Jesus noticed something, saw something? We are frequently told that he observed those around him: “Seeing the woman…,” “seeing the man …,” “seeing the people…,” “seeing their faith …,”–even noticing small details of people’s expressions: “seeing he had become sad…” (Luke 18:24).

It is clear that Jesus was observant, and although his eyes took in no more than those of others, it is clear that rather than just looking at people Jesus saw them in a way that others did not – it is as if he thought about everyone he saw. Do we have that kind of focus, or do we go through each day so busy and absorbed in our own lives that we are conscious of others, but not clearly seeing them in focus? The truth is, we can’t love without looking – seeing – comprehending. Perhaps part of the answer is that if we see ourselves as the servants of others, we will see them differently – as Christ did.

The apostle Paul put it this way: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who … made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant…” (Philippians 2:5-7). Think of an attentive waiter in a fine restaurant, or a rich person’s personal servant. A servant certainly watches those he is responsible for – staying aware and looking out for any need that may occur. And a person’s servant doesn’t just stop at noticing the need – the servant obviously acts swiftly to take care of it.

That’s what the Gospels show was the natural corollary of Jesus seeing people the way he did – he didn’t stop at seeing them, he immediately responded to what he saw: “seeing the woman he said …,” “seeing their faith he [healed]…,” “seeing the crowd he [asked] ‘Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’” (John 6:5). Jesus saw and then acted with compassion according to what he saw. So seeing people in a focused way was only the first half of what he accomplished with his observant attitude. Always, the seeing led to acting in some manner in order to help those who needed help.

We too can accomplish so much more when we train our minds to really see the people around us, to focus on them and to ask ourselves what do they need and is there a way we can serve them. It’s not just about giving physical things; it’s just as much about seeing people’s emotional and spiritual needs. But it takes a kind of awakening of the eyes to see like that – we won’t do it unless we think about doing it. Perhaps that’s part of what the prophet Isaiah meant when he wrote: “Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed…” (Isaiah 32:3). He wasn’t talking about the blind, but those who see coming to really see. That may primarily mean coming to see spiritual truth, of course, but it can also mean coming to see others as we should see them – through the eyes of a servant.

HOW Many Times?

by R. Herbert | Aug 4, 2014 | Service

The words of Jesus concerning how many times we must forgive others – “till seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22) – are words every Christian knows and tries to keep in mind, but do we apply this principle in other, more positive areas?

Consider the story of Joshua. We remember Joshua as the great military leader who oversaw the conquest of the Promised Land, yet Joshua does not seem to have started out as a fearless leader. We see that in instructing him, Moses told Joshua twice to “be strong and courageous” (Deuteronomy 31:6-7), and when God formally commissioned him, He told Joshua to “be strong and courageous” (Deuteronomy 31:23). Then, again, in the opening chapter of the Book of Joshua God tells him three times to “be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:6,7,9), and even the people of Israel encourage Joshua to “be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:18). So the man who became a great leader was encouraged on at least seven occasions to have the strength and courage he needed, then the statement doesn’t appear again. Eventually, in fact, once he grew in confidence, we find Joshua using exactly these same words to encourage the Israelites (Joshua 10:25)! Just as God, Moses and the people continued to encourage Joshua until he had gained experience and confidence, it is only as we persevere with encouragement and help that people come to where they don’t need it to the same degree.

When we look elsewhere in the Bible we see many other examples of this willingness to help others in an ongoing manner, to do good to them as many times as it might take. In the New Testament, the story of the Good Samaritan is an excellent example. The Samaritan did not just give some first-aid to the man in the ditch and go on his way – he worked through the problem step by step, with repeated actions: “He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’” (Luke 10:34-35).

In the same way, Paul tells us: “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak…” (Romans 15:1 ESV), and the plural “failings” or “weaknesses” does not just mean at one time, but through time – as long as there is a need. This is why Paul also tells us: “Let us not become weary in doing good” (Galatians 6:9), because the needs of others are often ongoing and at no time do we reach a point where we have “done enough” if a need still exists. If we can embrace the concept of forgiving others “till seventy times seven,” perhaps we should also be willing to continue to help others keeping this same attitude in mind.

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