Meditations

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24

“Religious life is a function of witness and labor, the total commitment of self, holding nothing back, in order to be the channel of God to the world.”

Gilbert Shaw in an unpublished talk to the Sisters of the Love of God in What Do You Seek? Wisdom from Religious Life for Today’s World by John-Francis Friendship (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2021) 9.

I am so excited about this new book. Just bought it. Came in the mail last night. It’s authored by Daily Meditations reader John-Francis Friendship. Check it out here on Amazon.

This first little quote from it struck me. Particularly the idea that following Jesus is a “total commitment of self
and “holding nothing back” for a purpose.

We do this in order to be a channel of God to a parched and thirsty world. Shaw’s charge to the Sisters of the Love of God matches precisely the charge of Jesus to the first disciples.

To be generous sharers in 2o22 and beyond we must hold nothing back. This requires us to deny or say “no” to ourselves so we can say “yes” to God and others.

What do you need to say “no” to in your life in order to be a channel of God to a needy world? 

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:17-19

“The incomprehensible riches and exaltation and the mildness and liberality with which the divine nature makes itself common: all this makes man to be astonished. And particularly and above all things man is astonished to see how God makes Himself common, and the liberality of it: for he perceives that in this incomprehensible nature of God consists the enjoyment of Him which He shares with all the saints.”

Jan van Ruysbroek (1293-1381) in The Spiritual Espousals (London: Faber and Faber, 1952) 125.

Notice the connection between sharing and enjoyment. God shares incomprehensible riches with us by sharing Himself. He does this for everyone for our enjoyment and sharing.

As 2022 gets rolling, reflect on the fact that the call for the rich to enjoy and share all things richly is not optional. It’s a command. Those who heed it, grasp life as God intends.

Also consider that two times Jan uses the word “incomprehensible” linked to both the gifts of God and the divine nature. Why think about this as well?

If God lavishes the incomprehensible gift of Himself and commands us to enjoy and share His material blessings, then the enjoyment of Him and the generous sharing of His blessings will be incomprehensibly better than any life we can imagine.

And all this is for everyone, because to be rich, in biblical terms, is simply to have more than enough. So, anyone with an abunance of material and/or spiritual blessings can enjoy and share them richly. Again, when we do this, we take hold of life.

Enjoy and share everyone! It’s a taste of life in the kingdom.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4

“It is not hard to spurn human consolation when we have the divine. It is, however, a very great thing indeed to be able to live without either divine or human comforting and for the honor of God willingly to endure this exile of heart, not to seek oneself in anything, and to think nothing of one’s own merit.

Does it matter much, if at the coming of grace, you are cheerful and devout? This is an hour desired by all, for he whom the grace of God sustains travels easily enough. What wonder if he feel no burden when borne up by the Almighty and led on by the Supreme Guide! For we are always glad to have something to comfort us, and only with difficulty does a man divest himself of self…

A man must fight long and bravely against himself before he learns to master himself fully and to direct all his affections toward God. When he trusts in himself, he easily takes to human consolation. The true lover of Christ, however, who sincerely pursues virtue, does not fall back upon consolations nor seek such pleasures of sense, but prefers severe trials and hard labors for the sake of Christ.”

Thomas à Kempis in “Wanting No Share in Comfort,” chapter 9 of The Imitation of Christ.

As I explore the word “share” in 2022 and how it relates to generosity, I am learning powerful lessons and the year has just started.

In one of the most famous works in church history, Thomas teaches us about “wanting no share in comfort!” Who even thinks about such things?

Well, I am learning that it is the person who has learned to divest himself or herself from self and who has directed all affections toward God.

I am not saying we can’t enjoy the creation and the many gifts of God. The key is to cherish the Giver and not the gifts. That’s the pathway to becoming givers.

Think on these heavenly things. Set your heart on them.

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13

“Since God is contented with Himself alone, if you have Him, you may be contented with Him alone, and it may be, that is the reason why your outward comforts are taken from you, that God may be all in all to you. It may be that while you had these things they shared with God in your affection, a great part of the stream of your affection ran that way; God would have the full stream run to Him now.”

Jeremiah Burroughs (1600-1646) in The Rare Jewel Of Christian Contentment (Preach the Word) 39.

Today in Denver there is a memorial service for one of the most generous people I have ever met, Paul Lewan. It will stream here live at 10:30am Denver Time.

Lewan was contented with God alone. The full stream of his affections ran to Him. Though his hard work allowed him to amass great wealth, he lived simply and gave generously. He knew He had Christ, so he had everything he would ever need. And he wanted the whole world to know Jesus too.

One helpful exercise to live like Lewan is seeing how you react when “outward comforts” are removed from you. Whatever you think you need has become an idol to you. Jesus knew the biggest idol that would test us was money. Money can’t save is, satisfy us, or give us the security we long for. Only God can. Christ is all we need.

And though he did not figure it out right way, the Apostle Paul, long before Lewan, discovered this secret. We can too. But how do we get there? We have to let go of what we are holding in our hands. Generous giving is the only pathway to contentment.

Both the Apostle Paul and Paul Lewan would say “give generously as God’s got you!”

Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

“We all need to eat and drink to stay alive. But having a meal is more than eating and drinking. It is celebrating the gifts of life we share. A meal together is one of the most intimate and sacred human events. Around the table we become vulnerable, filling one another’s plates and cups and encouraging one an- other to eat and drink. Much more happens at a meal than satisfying hunger and quenching thirst. Around the table we become family, friends, community, yes, a body. That is why it is so important to “set” the table. Flowers, candles, colorful napkins all help us to say to one another, “This is a very special time for us, let’s enjoy it!”

Henri Nouwen in Break for the Journey (New York: HarperOne, 2006) reading for 15 February.

There are few things more special than having meals with people. It is one of the things I have missed most during the lockdown times and limited interaction periods of the pandemic. It’s a sacred context for Jesus. Remember, He told us to remember Him in a meal.

When Jesus sent the disciples out, He instructed them to eat what people put in front of them. Why? Food brings us together. I have found this to be true in my global travels. We talk and get to know each other over food. We laugh and tell stories. We celebrate God’s faithfulness together.

Share a meal with someone in the near future and make it special. Maybe dress up and go to a sit-down restaurant? Order take out, or perhaps eat at home with nice flowers on the table? Cherish the fact that when we do this, we become the family, friends, commmunity, and body of Christ.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

“God freely promises all things needful to those who deny themselves for love of their neighbors; and to bear the yoke of modesty and sobriety, rather than to let sin reign in our mortal body (Romans 6:12), that is indeed to seek the Kingdom of God and to implore His aid against the tyranny of sin. It is surely justice to share our natural gifts with those who share our nature.

But if we are to love our neighbors as we ought, we must have regard to God also: for it is only in God that we can pay that debt of love aright. Now a man cannot love his neighbor in God, except he love God Himself; wherefore we must love God first, in order to love our neighbors in Him. This too, like all good things, is the Lord’s doing, that we should love Him, for He hath endowed us with the possibility of love.”

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), excerpt from Chapter Eight in his classic work: On Loving God.

My mom often reminds me that today’s Scripture was her father’s life verse. I am thankful for a family legacy that aimed at justice in this biblical sense of the word, that is, denying self in order “to share our natural gifts with those who share our nature” as Bernard put it.

Loving our neighbor is not easy. Thankfully Bernard teaches us how. We need to love God first, who is love and endows us with the possibility of love toward others. So, as 2022 begins, take inventory of your natural gifts and consider with whom you might share to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” Job 1:21b

“For many weeks past very little has come in for the other funds. The chief supply has been by the sale of Bibles. Last Saturday I was not able to pay the whole of the weekly salaries of the teachers in the day schools, which, however, does not make me a debtor to them, as it is an understood thing that they have not to look to me for payment, but to the Lord. Today again only two shillings was in hand, whilst several pounds were needed to pay the salaries. It appeared now plainly to be the will of the Lord that, as all the laborers in the Orphan Houses know about the state of the funds, so the brethren and sisters who labor in the day schools should share the trial of faith and the joy of faith with us. Accordingly we all met, and after I had laid on their hearts the importance of keeping to themselves, for the Lord’s sake, the state of the funds, we prayed together.”

George Muller in Chapter XII “Plenty and Want” of for 29 August 1840 in The Life of Trust (London: H. Lincoln Wayland) 190.

Recently at GTP we put the word out for many to pray with us for funds to add staff. I must report that on 31 December 2021, we hit the mark so we have started the search for staff. The timing was one month longer to reach the goal than we had hoped. But in that window, new givers came to the table, and the effort stretched the faith of our board, staff, and regional facilitators.

Why tell this today? If we are pastors, ministry adminstrators, or others in positions of leadership, we must “share the trial of faith and the joy of faith” with those we serve as it helps everyone grow. We must live, give, serve, and love in a way that teaches people to trust God. Listen to Muller’s account of the impact that trusting God had on their entire team on 9 December 1840.

“This way of living brings the Lord remarkably near. He is, as it were, morning by morning inspecting our stores, that accordingly He may send help. Greater and more manifest nearness of the Lord’s presence I have never had than when after breakfast there were no means for dinner, and then the Lord provided the dinner for more than one hundred persons; or when, after dinner, there were no means for the tea, and yet the Lord provided the tea; and all this without one single human being having been informed about our need. This moreover I add, that although we who have been eyewitnesses of these gracious interpositions of our Father, have not been so benefited by them as we might and ought to have been, yet we have in some measure derived blessings from them. One thing is certain, that we are not tired of doing the Lord’s work in this way.”

As you “share the trial of faith and the joy of faith” may you bring the Lord remarkably near to those you serve and may they not tire of doing the Lord’s work in this way. May they be eyewitnesses of the gracious interpositions of our Father. And may this transform them to live as conduits of material and spiritual blessings with ever growing faith. Nothing can touch the life of trust!

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His clothes by casting lots. Luke 23:34

“When we are personally injured our world does not suddenly become our injury. We have a larger view of our life and our place in God’s world. We see God; we see ourselves in his hands. And we see our injurer as more than that one who has imposed on us or hurt us. We recognize his humanity, his pitiful limitations (shared with us), and we also see him under God. This vision, and the grace that comes with it, enables the prayer: “Father forgive them, for they do not really understand what they are doing.” And in fact they don’t, as Jesus well knew when he prayed this prayer over his murderers.”

Dallas Willard in The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God (New York: HarperCollins, 1998) 176.

The prevailing thinking in our world is to avenge those who wrong us. We want to hold them accountable. As followers of Jesus we get to do the opposite toward them. We show love and forgiveness because we share humanity with them.

God will be the righteous judge. So, we must not see ourselves as “good” and them “bad” for we need God’s grace equally. This relates to generosity because we live in a world where we are injured from all sides. Friend and foe wrong us.

What should we do? Let’s not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good by echoing the prayer of Jesus to all who share humanity with us and wrong us. “Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.”

No only do we sow grace and mercy generously with this posture, we position ourselves to receive it richly from God. For the measure we extend to others will be extended to us (Matthew 7:2). Share grace and mercy geneorously in 2022.

The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor. Proverbs 22:9

“God of abundance, help us live today trusting that there will be enough for tomorrow. Your sources have no end. Teach us to share our resources, believing that the more we give, the more you will provide for all. Amen.”

Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, and Enuma Okoro in Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010) 64.

As the new year begins, let’s take the posture of learners of generosity. Let’s ask God to teach us to share. In so doing, may we discover unimaginable blessing.

Our world says that what we earned or possess is ours, and that we should only share with the deserving. In this prayer, Shane, Jonathan, and Enuma teach us a valuable lesson of the Christian life.

God’s sources have no end. So, when we share more, God supplies more for us and for all. But we must play our part this year and this day for God’s glory. Let’s do this in 2022.

Lord, teach us to share.

He was one of our number and shared in our ministry. Acts 1:17

“As long as goodness is successful, we can afford the luxury of regarding it as having no ethical significance; it is when success is achieved by evil means that the problem arises. In the face of such a situation, we find that it cannot be adequately dealt with, either by theoretical dogmatic arm-chair criticism, which means a refusal to face the facts or by opportunism, which means giving up the struggle and surrendering to success.

We will not and must not be either outraged critics or opportunists, but we must take our share of responsibility for the moulding of history in every situation and at every moment, whether we are the victors or the vanquished. One who will not allow any occurrence whatever to deprive him of his responsibility for the course of history—because he knows that it has been laid on him by God—will thereafter achieve a more fruitful relation to the events of history than that of barren criticism and equally barren opportunism.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Letters and Papers from Prison: The Enlarged Edition, edited by Eberhard Bethge (New York: SCM, 1971) 7.

We live in challenging times when much evil seems to prevail. Many have likened them to the days of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, so it seems fitting to read his thoughts. He notes that many choose criticism or opportunism in response to crazy times. But to take our responsibility in the middle is to have a share in fruitful ministry.

During the days of the early church in Acts, the Roman emperors held a tight grip over society, and there were critics and opportunists on both sides. Despite the danger, God’s workers spread the truth about Jesus and lived it faithfully. In just two centuries they would become the majority population.

But how? Ordinary people had a share in the ministry. That’s how! They decided to live for Jesus and use all they had to advance His purposes, regardless of the cost. Bonhoeffer did it in his day. The question is, will we do it in ours. Don’t be a critic or an opportunist. Have a share in fruitful ministry.

A critic appears as a person hoarding what Jesus has supplied to them. An opportunist deploys a portion, perhaps their surplus to God’s work, but maintains their comfort and aims at personal gain. A person with a share in frutiful minisry holds nothing back from God. Where do you fit in this picture?