James Bryan Smith: Acts of kindness

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

“The small victories of our lives are one area we see evidence of the final victory of Jesus–the times when we chose to love instead of hate, to forgive instead of hold a grudge, to be kind when being mean would be the usual course of action. In those moments we catch a glimpse of the victory he has already won. So this day, choose to perform an intentional act of kindness as evidence that you are on the winning side.

Acts of kindness also have a way of changing our perspective and reminding us that even though there is a lot of anger and selfishness in the world (and in us), something bigger and better is going on: love. When we do an act of kindness, we are demonstrating the truth that God is good and that, ultimately, God wins–which means we win as well. Do a simple act of kindness today and show the world whose side you are on.”

James Bryan Smith in Hidden in Christ: Living as God’s Beloved (Downers Grove: IVP, 2013) 58.

I have nothing to add to this exhortation by Smith other than echoing the famous Nike slogan: Just do it!

“Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:3-4

“One of the first things the disciples did following the resurrection of Jesus was to increase their number and to ensure that food and care were given to all those in need. They elected deacons specifically to help the community care for and serve those who had no advocates. This, too, is our work. We are to be people who love our neighbor and share what we have. Christian communities living into God’s mission will reveal to the world around them excellence in service. Service is the act of incarnating the gospel of Good News.”

C. Andrew Doyle in A Generous Community: Being the Church in a New Missionary Age (New York: Morehouse, 2015) 32.

The generous service of Christians toward caring for the physical needs of people was likely the greatest form of evangelism in the first century. They did this without minimizing their attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. How much time and church resources should be allocated to offering such services? This is a question many of my students are asking. To read further on this topic from a biblical studies perspective, check out a blog I wrote recently entitled: “Four Church Budgeting Insights from the Early Church”.

But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Luke 22:26

“Go down into the far end of society, take the last place among men, live with those who are despised, love other men and serve them instead of making them serve you. Do not fight them when they push you around, but pray for those who hurt you.”

Thomas Merton in New Seeds of Contemplation (Abbey of Gethsemani, 2007) 143.

Jesus modeled generous service for us, and Merton reminds us what it should look like. This will put us among our enemies and those who may seek to use us. God as we serve generously, help us serve the least deserving people like you served us.

The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. Luke 8:14

“The problem in the parable is not the quality of the seed being sown but the receptivity of the soil. All four soils receive the same quality of seed. But the health of the soul will determine the fruitfulness of the crop . . . When we chase money instead of Christ’s mission we miss the abundant life for which we were created. Our lives fail to produce a kingdom crop.”

Mike Slaughter in The Christian Wallet: Spending, Giving, and Living with a Conscience (Louisville: WJKP, 2016) 3-4.

Amen! Let us resolve not to let the desire for riches choke out our life or our fruitfulness! Instead, so that that fruit of generosity matures in each of our lives (cf. Galatians 5:22-23), let us receive the truth in our hearts which beckons us to focus on the mission Christ has given us. Our role is merely to be conduits of His life and the blessings that come with it!

Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Ephesians 4:28

“This culture of waste has made us insensitive even to the waste and disposal of food, which is even more despicable when all over the world, unfortunately, many individuals and families are suffering from hunger and malnutrition . . . Once our grandparents were very careful not to throw away any leftover food. Consumerism has led us to become used to an excess and daily waste of food, to which, at times we are no longer able to give a just value . . . Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of the poor and the hungry.”

Pope Francis in his remarks reported on 5 June 2013 by Josephine McKenna in Rome.

The idea that “not sharing our surplus” = “stealing” is both an ancient perspective that can be traced all the way back to the early church fathers and a modern idea promoted by Pope Francis among others. What about you? How has the “culture of waste” adversely shaped your stewardship? Father in Heaven, show us by your Holy Spirit how we can waste less and share more in our giving, living, serving, and loving. Do this I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24

“According to Jesus and all the writers of the New Testament, behind money are very real spiritual forces that energize it and give it a life of its own. Hence, money is an active agent; it is a law unto itself; and it is capable of inspiring devotion.”

Richard Foster in The Challenge of the Disciplined Life: Christian Reflections on Money, Sex, and Power (New York: Harper Collins, 1995) 26.

Money is not a benign object. When people retain it rather than putting it to work following biblical instructions, it becomes a malignant force. Foster rightly adds that it inspires our devotion. It intoxicates in that it demands the allegiance of all those who think it’s the answer to their problems.

God’s at work in my students. Thanks for your prayers for me and them. Their receptivity to biblical instruction in this “Faith and Finances” class here at Northern Seminary has really blessed me, and undoubtedly thrills our Lord Jesus Christ. If you want a PDF copy of my curriculum, reply to this email and I will happily share it with you.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

“Giving is a spiritual practice that can break the hold of money on our lives . . . Giving stands against the spiritual forces at work in consumerism . . . Engage in giving as a spiritual act of war.”

Want to explore these profound ideas further? Learn from one of my former doctoral students, Philip Eubanks. Watch his message dated 17 March 2016 that starts at the 13:30 mark of this livestream video. I love his passion. Well done, Philip!

Eubanks is spot on! Whether or not you watch it, engage in giving as a spiritual act of war against the forces of evil! It breaks the hold of money on our lives and stands against the forces of consumerism.

At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality. 2 Corinthians 8:14

“Living with less enables us to be more generous and giving. In fact, I’ve seen over and over again that minimalism can be the quickest shortcut to a life of greater and more lasting significance. A lot of people might want to be more generous, but until they are themselves from the burden of spending too much money and accumulating too many possessions, they will not be able to do it. Generosity, then, is not just an outcome of minimalism. It can also be a motivation for it.”

Joshua Becker in The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own (Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press, 2016) 174-175.

I love this statement by Becker, and it echoes the Apostle Paul. “There’s a richness in turning our excess into someone else’s supply. And the sooner we give to others, the sooner we discover the great potential each of our lives can hold.” The possessions in our stewardship are full of potential. Summer is a great time to clean out our homes and closets and put our excess to work.

Speaking of Summer, the header photo shows our view of the foothills on our morning walk. One of our simple twice-daily pleasures, morning and evening, is taking a one-mile walk with our German Shorthair Pointer dog, Joy St. Clare (though we only call her by her middle name when she’s been into mischief)!

The less we possess the more free we are, and more people are blessed through our generosity. Don’t take my word for it: Jesus calls those with much to let go of everything, and they don’t end up empty but find themselves enriched (cf. Mark 10:17-31).

Over the next two weekends I am teaching a “Faith and Finances” course at Northern Seminary in the Chicago area. I’d appreciate your prayers for me and my students, specifically that God would prepare their hearts to receive truths like these which can transform the rest of their lives for God’s glory.

Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you.” 2 Corinthians 12:14

“[We don’t] do fundraising. For us, it’s about “faith raising”. Why? Because we believe God is primarily interested in growing our faith, not getting our money. And when we grow in our faith, giving will naturally occur…We desire to grow your hearts to be “rich toward God” (Luke 12:21). We don’t want something from you — we want something for you. That’s why we encourage you to be generous no matter where God asks you to deploy His resources.”

Steve Cummings in an excerpt of his article entitled, “What are we raising anyway?” in Multnomah Connection, June 2016.

Cummings nails it with this distinction. By shifting from fundraising to faith raising, he declares his desire (and God’s) for each person he serves. Is this your perspective for the ministries that you are involved with? Steve is a close friend and I know first hand that this perspective requires faith. Daily, he trusts God to provide for the ministry he serves. Do you? Steve and I would conclude that it’s the only way to go about the work because in the end, the faith of many grows, and God gets all the glory for the provision.

Now concerning the collection for the saints: you should follow the directions I gave to the churches of Galatia. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn, so that collections need not be taken when I come. And when I arrive, I will send any whom you approve with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me. 1 Corinthians 16:1-4

“How simple is it for someone to give to your church or charitable organization? Studies consistently reveal a correlation between ease of giving and the motivation of [givers]. Making it easy to give is a well-known best practice of annual gift campaigns and even more advanced levels of giving. In other words, a potential [giver] is more likely to give to a charity if a convenient method of contributing is provided. Of course, more important motivators than a simple method of giving exist for the [giver].”

David S. Bell in “Making it Simple for Person’s to Give” in Giving: Growing Joyful Stewards in Your Congregation, volume 18 (Richmond: ESC, 2016) 16-17.

In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians about participating in the collection for the Jerusalem believers, his instructions were clear and simple: earn income, live on less than you make, and bring your surplus on Sunday so we can combine it with the giving of others and deliver it with appointed couriers. Both in my teaching and my part-time service with ECFA as International Liaison, I encourage leaders around the world to follow suit with clarity and simplicity.

Imagine if Paul would have suggested that every church deliver their own gift to Jerusalem. That would have been a long trip for most churches in the ancient Mediterranean world. Few churches might have sent anything had that been the case. While his second letter to the Corinthians deals with the “motivators”, his instructions here are simple. Paul made it easy for people to give, and we (who administrate ministries in the modern world) should too.