James Hamilton: Docility, Conscious Penury, and Submission

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. Psalm 51:17

“Humility, what is it? It is a gracious gift of the Holy Ghost. It is the same disposition which the Psalmist called a “broken heart” and that consciousness of need which Jesus had in view when He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” So far as it has respect to God, it is that docility which is willing to learn what God teaches; that conscious penury, which is willing to accept whatever God proffers; that submission which is willing to do what God desires, and to endure whatever God deems needful.”

James Hamilton in Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers, compiled by Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert (New York: Wilbur B. Ketcham, 1895) 331.

For the past month or so, we have been exploring themes related to generosity in the minds of key voices around the enlightenment period. Their brilliant minds bring life to basic truths.

Today’s lesson links to the heart or spirit we must have in order to grasp the things of God and share them generously with others. On our part, it requires docility, conscious penury, and submission.

In plain terms, if our lives are to exhibit Christian generosity, we must take the posture of a humble learner, then that of a grateful receiver, and then with complete submission, we must do what God desires.

Our human tendency is to gain knowledge, to amass resources, and do what we desire. Modern philanthropy says to give to the things that bring you the most joy. Instead, let us give to what thrills the heart of God.

What path will you take? Jesus promised the kingdom of heaven to the poor in spirit. It’s a paradox. The secret to grasping this lies in docility, conscious penury, and submission.

And you don’t discover that this path actually helps you grow in generosity until you take it.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2

“Humility is that simple, inner life of real greatness, which is indifferent to magnificence, and, surrounded by it all, lives far away in the distant country of a Father’s home, with the cross borne silently and self-sacrificingly in the heart of hearts.”

F. W. Robertson in Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers, compiled by Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert (New York: Wilbur B. Ketcham, 1895) 330.

We must not allow our generosity to seek glory or magnificence. How do we remain indifferent to it. We learn in proverbs to pursue wisdom, to dwell with the Father and let His thoughts be our thoughts.

What cross has God called you to bear? Do it silently and self-sacrificingly. God sees. Don’t worry about whether or not anyone else does. They are not the audience or the One you serve.

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He instructs sinners in His ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way. All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of His covenant. For the sake of your name, Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great. Psalm 25:8-11

“True humility is a Christian grace and one of the fruits of the Spirit originating in a deep consciousness of sin past and present and leading us to discover our nothingness in the view of God, our insufficiency for any thing that is good, and prompting us, as we feel our infirmities, to strive after higher and yet higher attainments.”

James McCosh in Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers, compiled by Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert (New York: Wilbur B. Ketcham, 1895) 329.

We need to see ourselves rightly before God if we are to remain teachable and if we are to walk in His ways. We are sinners with an “insufficiency for any thing that is good.”

So how does this relate to generosity? True humility teaches us take our rightful place as conduits of divine grace. Any good we do is by His grace, so our role is really only spreading God’s goodness.

God, forgive us our sins and pour out your grace on us. Teach us Your ways by your Holy Spirit so we may walk in your truth and guide others to You. In Your mercy, hear our prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2

“We should carry up our affections to the mansions prepared for us above, where eternity is the measure, felicity the state, angels the company, the Lamb the light, and God the inheritance and portion of His people forever.”

Jeremy Taylor in Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers, compiled by Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert (New York: Wilbur B. Ketcham, 1895) 308.

We have had lots of snow this week. With the arrival of November, we also enter the holiday shopping season where temptations surround us and offer to sell us a seemingly endless supply of stuff.

That means it is also time to set our affections on things above, not on earthly things. Sure, we buy what we need, but let’s keep our heart’s desires on heavenly realities.

Like the character “Tris” in the Divergent movie series, we must say to ourselves, “that’s not real,” when we hear the satisfaction that products promise us in the advertisements.

The only thing and only One that satisfies and will ever satisfy our needs is the God who is our heavenly inheritance. So, let’s set our affections on things above, not on earthly things.

And let’s put God’s resources to work related to what God cares about. When we do this, our generosity will reflect Christ’s love to a broken and hurting world.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

“Do not let the empty cup be your first teacher of the blessings you had when it was full. Do not let a hard place here and there in the bed destroy your rest. Seek, as a plain duty, to cultivate a buoyant, joyous sense of the crowded kindnesses of God in your daily life.”

Alexander Maclaren in Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers, compiled by Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert (New York: Wilbur B. Ketcham, 1895) 290.

This statement really caught my attention when I read it. I need to cultivate “a buoyant, joyous sense of the crowded kindnesses of God” in my daily life.

To do so, I am sitting and reflecting and making a list of the crowded kindnesses of God. I must marinate in the truth that He is always working for my good.

The words “buoyant” and “joyous” give me so much hope. They remind me that God will lift me out of hard places and restore joy to my soul.

This action took my mind to Psalm 40. Meditate on it with me and find encouragement and a “buoyant, joyous sense” for your journey of generosity.

The servant who had received the five talents went and put them to work and gained five more. Matthew 25:16

“Be an observer of providence; for God is showing you ever, by the way in which He leads you, whither He means to lead. Study your trials, your talents, the world’s wants, and stand ready to serve God now, in whatever He brings to your hand. Again consult your friends, and especially those who are most in the teaching of God. They know your talents and personal qualifications better, in some respects, than you do yourself. Ask their judgment of you and of the spheres and works to which you are best adapted. Once more, go to God Himself, and ask for the calling of God; for, as certainly as He has a plan or calling for you, He will somehow guide you into it.”

Horace Bushnell (1802-1876) in a sermon entitled, “Every Man’s Life a Plan of God,” in Sermons for the New Life (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1876) 22.

What does it mean to be an observer of providence?

Observers of providence are people who look at the needs around them and what God has supplied to them, and they put to work what they have and depend on God to sustain them.

This requires a beautiful mix of faith and obedience and of stewardship and generosity. Our service follows God’s leading, is fueled by God’s supply, and ministers to the wants around us.

Do you also notice the community layer that comes into view?

Such service is affirmed by those around us who know God deeply and who know us well. I will spend time today with a young man, Nathan Jones, that I have mentored for nearly two decades.

We can’t serve the next generation if we don’t invest time in their lives. Lastly, all this is reinforced by prayer with confirmation from God to be sure that our work aligns with His plan.

Father, make us observers of providence. By your Holy Spirit, show us what to do with what we have so you are glorified by our service. Hear our prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:5

“And if you ask what is the temper which is most fitted to be victorious over sin on earth, I answer that in it the warp of a sunny gentleness must be woven across the woof of a strong character. That will make the best tissue to stand the wear and tear of the world’s trials. Our Lord was divinely gentle, but He was also strong with a wondrous strength and firmness.”

W. H. Lyttleton in Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers, compiled by Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert (New York: Wilbur B. Ketcham, 1895) 255.

I want to send warm happy birthday greetings today to my mom, Patsy Hoag! Her warp (vertical threads of a tapestry) and woof (the horizontal threads) are sunny gentleness and strong character. When these two traits are combined they produce a generous spirit that blesses all around her.

I am asking God to help me grow in the “sunny gentleness” part. And, I think I located the way we can each nurture this trait in our lives in today’s Scripture. If we soak and sit in the reality of the nearness of our Lord, we find wondrous strength and firmness. Resting in Him help grow gentleness in us.

The world needs more people with the warp of sunny gentleness and the woof of a strong character. When we look at our Lord’s example, we see a generous mix of both. For us to exhibit the same in a world filled with trials, it seems that the secret for us is to rest together in the reality that “The Lord is near.”

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

“Character is so largely affected by associations that we cannot afford to be indifferent as to who and what our friends are. They write their names in our albums, but they do more, they help make us what we are. Be therefore careful in selecting them.”

M. Hulburd in Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers, compiled by Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert (New York: Wilbur B. Ketcham, 1895) 255.

Last night I had the privilege of attending World Series game 5 with Dan Busby (pictured above). Better than the baseball action, which was unforgettable, was the special time with a faithful friend. His listening ear and wise words shape my mind and heart. This relates to generosity because his impact in my life would be priceless to measure.

Who writes their name in your proverbial album? Who is helping make you what you are? To grow in generosity this year, spend time in prayer and then identify a godly person to go deeper in friendship. This person will not only shape your life, but the impact of this experience will shape your character and your future in incalculable ways.

Next think about who you might touch in a similar fashion. We cannot afford to be indifferent about this, as Hulburd notes. As another friend reminded me yesterday via email, don’t underestimate the impact of small groups of committed people. In the first century, a handful of devoted disciples changed the world. Let’s do the same today.

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:13

“Christian community is like the Christian’s sanctification. It is a gift of God which we cannot claim. Only God knows the real state of our fellowship, of our sanctification. What may appear weak and trifling to us may be great and glorious to God. }ust as the Christian should not be con­ stantly feeling his spiritual pulse, so, too, the Christian com­ munity has not been given to us by God for us to be constantly taking its temperature. The more thankfully we daily receive what is given to us, the more surely and steadily will fellowship increase and grow from day to day as God pleases.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community (New York: Harper One, 1954) 30.

Yesterday many friends and family surrounded us with love with the wedding of our son. Sammy and Emily are now happily married. And what a privilege to officiate (pictured above). It was a special experience of Christian community. What a gift. A few friends advised me beforehand to greet as many people as possible, to enjoy their presence, and simply thank them for coming. Now I see why. The experience of Christian community is a great gift.

Bonhoeffer teaches us that Christian community is something to receive and participate in but not something we can ever claim as ours. He’s right. Think about it. Even as we own nothing, but experience everything is a gift of grace, we don’t own people either, so our interaction with and the blessings generously shared in the process are gifts from God who chose us as His own in the first place.

Today, while Sammy and Emily head to Hawaii for their honeymoon and relatives depart, I fly to Washington D.C. to experience the gift of Christian community with a dear friend, Dan Busby, president of ECFA. We will enjoy fellowship, talk about our families, share about our GTP and ECFA work, and go to World Series game 5 together. It’s a gift from God. I pray our experience of Christian community produces fruits that bless the whole world.

Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. His soul will abide in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant. My eyes are continually toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net. Psalm 27:12-15

“To fear God is to recognize that one is not the centre of the universe. The fear of God engenders proper humility in a person that makes them teachable. This fear is not an emotion that makes one run away, but rather to persist in God’s awesome presence and to listen to his instructions. He instructs them because they are willing to learn. For that reason God confides in them and makes His covenant known to them, and hte result is that they will be rewarded. Interestingly, the psalmist specifies the reward as the inheritance of the land…Only by listening to God and obeying him will he avoid the pitfalls of life.”

Tremper Longman III in Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove: IVP, 2014) 145.

Our only son, Samuel David Hoag, marries Emily Susanna Law today. It will be grand celebration of Christian love. At the rehearsal dinner last night, he gave me a gift of a utility knife. These words were etched on it:”Thanks for raising me to be the man I am today, Samuel.”

The gift also had a card with it. “Dad, Thanks for officiating my wedding and for supporting me and Emily’s relationship. Who’s the man? Sammy” What a great gift coupled with a kind and thoughtful expression of thankfulness and commitment.

“Who’s the man?” That short question stemming from today’s Scripture is the code question my son and I have asked each other for personal accountability to remain humble, teachable, and obedient to God for more than a decade. When he asks me the question, I reply, “We are!” and vice versa.

His words on that paper really touched me. They shouted gratitude for sacrifice and support. They also shouted commitment to God. He will persist in listening to God’s instructions now that he builds a household of his own. The knife is great, but his words were a priceless gift!

The promise I hold onto from Psalm 25 is that Sammy and Emily will experience the blessing of God for the course they have charted together. So even as Sammy’s words were a gift to me, God’s promise is an even greater gift to them.

This is a secret of divine generosity. When we give, blessing returns to us. We don’t end up empty, but rather, enriched. May their marriage continue to reflect the love and generosity of God. I pray this is true of everyone reading this for God’s glory.