Tag: Generosity

wesley was right.

[6 minutes]

Do all the good you can,

by all the means you can,

in all the ways you can,

in all the places you can,

at all the times you can,

to all the people you can,

as long as ever you can.

John Wesley

Years ago the New York Times ran a feature asking for people to share their Thanksgiving (horror) stories. There were a number of funny anecdotes along with the disaster stories, but in the mix came one tragic comment from somebody who called themselves “Sad Person”:

My Holiday horror story is that every year I am reminded that my family doesn’t want me and I don’t have any friends. I wish the world wouldn’t stop for eight weeks every year and I could just be in peace.

There were a good many responses to “Sad Person” but I thought this one captured the gist of my post today:

A note to sad person. What you say about your family may be true, but I certainly hope not. However, remember, if you want a friend you have to also be a friend to someone, too. It’s not a one-way street. Be kind to someone who is lonely, do a good deed for someone in need, do volunteer work at a hospital/charity, and smile at everyone you meet. You will make people feel very special and you will feel wonderful for doing it.

I got the idea for today’s blog piece from a recent rereading of Galatians. In chapter 6, Paul appeals to a congregation of tired, irritated, even selfish believers who had lost the plot. He even said, “Y’all got me SMH” (Gal 4:20). This whole section, from verse one on, could fall under the title: “CHURCH IS HARD” or “SAINTHOOD IS EXHAUSTING.”

People sin and break your heart. They can drag you down with their drama and be a royal burden. You and I can be a piece of work also, let’s not forget. The flesh is loud and whiny and arrogant and is always trying to kill you when you’re not looking. It won’t ever shut up, or let up, or give up. The struggle is real. Saints don’t happen overnight (Gal 4:19).

good advice

So, given all that, just do all the good you can to anyone and everyone as you have opportunity. Don’t complicate things. Don’t overanalyze. Don’t overthink it. Just do good (v10). You’ve got shortcomings, I’ve got shortcomings; we’re not going to have everything figured out. Just. Do. Good. In the name of Jesus. Don’t withhold it because you don’t think they deserve it (newsflash: you don’t either!). Do good anyway.

There’s so much drama, yes. On the daily there’s a never-ending pile of (pardon the French) doo-doo we have to deal with all the time. “Sufficient for the day is its own trouble,” Jesus said. True to all of that, but that means there’s never-ending possibilities to do good, to make someone’s day, to punch holes in the darkness, to right wrongs, to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.

Sainting is hard. Loving is hard. Bearing one another’s burdens is hard. Bearing our own loads is hard. Fighting the flesh is hard. Getting up and being motivated to face another day is hard. But we do it for Jesus. We are kind for Jesus. We are patient with others for Jesus. We fight what we’d like to say for Jesus. We fight airing our grievances for Jesus. We fight jerking a knot in somebody’s tail for Jesus. We overcome evil with good…for Jesus.

There are some I’ve had to halt praying imprecatory prayers for because God told me “I want you to pray good for them. Leave that other stuff to me.” So I pray good on their day. I ask God to bless them. I pray for opportunities to serve them in little ways. What I can’t do is be around them because that’s not good for my mental and spiritual health, but the good I can do is to pray good for them…and leave the other stuff to God to work out. Lord knows I fail, but I’m starting to fail a little bit less these days.

due season

Another motivation to “do all the good we can” is that, one day, there’s going to be a reaping (v9). And the reaping is going to be epic. It’s going to be so good. “Every ounce of Christian suffering will be compensated for with millions of years of rest, and still more besides. This suffering will be merely a blip on the radar of an eternity of peace, a grain of sand compared to the global beaches of God’s comfort in the world to come” (Jared C. Wilson).

So keep doing good even if the only good you can do right now is to smile at someone or finally finish that chore you promised or pay for the person’s coffee behind you in the drive-thru line. Or text someone you’re on the outs with and just say, “I’m sorry. I love you.”

Hey brother- (or sister-) -in-Christ:

  • “You were running well”…..now you’re just going through the motions

  • You were “standing”……now you’re bowing in defeat

  • You were “walking in the Spirit”……now you’re wasting away in inertia.

  • You were “doing good”…..now you’re questioning whether your good is doing any good at all.

Anne Lamott tells of a friend who told her “‘I’m not suicidal, but sometimes I wish I was dead.’ This is the point beyond exhaustion, when you can’t see how you’ll ever fill up again. And then she does, through what she calls lunch-money faith: nothing dramatic, and just enough.”

Perhaps you don’t have the emotional currency right now to invest in something that will cost you dearly, but you have just enough coin in your pocket to buy someone a cup of cold water in Jesus’s name. Lunch-money faith, right? Your level of faith right now has you in the shallow end of the pool when you can distinctly remember a time when you swam in the deep end. It’s okay. You can make a splash there too.

Wesley was right. Do all the good you can, etc. But if “all the good you can” is only enough to fill a thimble, offer that thimble up to God and ask him to bless it, then give it to somebody in Jesus name. Then ask for him to give you a cup for next time. I hear Jesus really enjoys a cup of cold water now and again.

Selah, beloved.

By The Rivers of Babylon, We Rose And Sang

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Hey Church:

Psalms 112:6,7
For the righteous will never be moved;
…He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.

The verses just before and after this promise tell us just who this righteous person is. It’s the one who is proactively “generous”, “gives to the poor”, “distributes freely” and is for “justice”.

The Psalmist is telling us if we’re too busy being kind, generous, and acting in justice for the oppressed, we won’t be jarred or shaken by any news that comes out of Babylon.

Jeremiah caught some flack (what else is new?) from the refugees in Babylon for telling them to “buck up!” and thrive in their ‘new normal’ in Babylon. They wanted to sit by the canals and weep instead, not seeing much use for their harps and the songs of Zion in a foreign place (see Psalm 137).

“How can we sing our national anthems in a foreign land?” they spat.

Undeterred, Jeremiah replied, “How can you NOT?!?”

He saw a golden opportunity for his people not only to survive, but to thrive. And in their thriving, Babylon – yes, even cruel, wicked, satanic empire of Babylon – would have a share in her blessings (see Jeremiah 29).

And who knows? Might be that her despotic king might bow the knee to Jesus and join the company of the saints!

What we see Jesus doing in the gospels, He wants to do it through us. Let’s do life in Jesus’ name. Let’s show the world a better headline!

Selah,

PS

10 Things Your Thanksgiving Table Needs

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What will be at your table today?

Like 90% of Americans, you’ll likely go traditional, serving turkey, mashed and sweet potatoes, dressing, cranberry sauce, perhaps a casserole of either beans, squash, sweet potatoes – or all three! Then, of course, topping it all off with the famous pumpkin and/or pecan pies.

It’s not likely your table will resemble the first thanksgiving meal in 1621. That three-day feast, shared between pilgrims from England and Wampanoag native Americans, featured duck, goose, mussels, lobster, hollowed out pumpkins filled with milk, honey and spices, formed into a custard then roasted in an earth oven; turnips, corn mush sweetened with molasses, onions, beans, turnips; gooseberries, raspberries and grapes…and, maybe, just maybe, a few wild turkeys.

I thought today we might center around the other factors of this beloved holiday feast: what happens around the table, besides just the eating part.

Let’s zero in on 10 things that could elevate your dinner to an even higher, more memorable, place.

Let’s talk etiquette.

No, not which fork you start with, or what that sideways utensil at the top of your plate is for; not about napkins on the lap or elbows on the table, or the proper serving size. Or whether you pass clockwise or counter-clockwise.

No, not that kind of etiquette.

Let’s talk etiquette of the heart.

Let’s talk about how the redeemed grow together and relate to one another as true family.

What’s Around The Table of the Redeemed?

  1. Centerpiece

    2. – points to CHRIST, make Him attractive; make Him the point; don’t make Him just a small part of your day, make Him the main point of the day; make Jesus the cornucopia of your fellowship

    2 Corinthians 4:7 – Jesus is the bounty in the horn of bounty!

    This day is not about you grandstanding, soap boxing, grabbing the spotlight and being the center of attention.

    Find the Jesus in the ones around the table and nurture that in your conversation.

  2. Head Chair

    3. – who serves?

    Matthew 23:6-11

    The Norman Rockwell iconic painting “Freedom from Want” has the Dad wearing the suit reaching for the carving utensils. He’s the head of the household and yet he’s given to the role of serving the turkey.

    In the economy of the Kingdom, we would do well to remember the ones with delegated power are the ones with the responsibility to humble themselves to work for those with none. Pastors aren’t celebrities, they’re servants. Bosses aren’t bossy, they’re busy…making sure their charges are exceeding their own expectations. Husbands aren’t ruling over their wives, they’re laying down their lives for their wives…

  3. Place-Settings

    4. – tables and settings are usually set up for even numbers; make your table ‘odd’ or uneven as a reminder you don’t belong in the family either, but grace has set a place for you, too.

    Your reservation is waiting…

    Luke 14:22-24

  4. Meat

    5. – this represents the rich and awesome, sometimes deep and often heavy, doctrines of God. We need to encourage our brothers and sisters to leave the paper plates and smaller helpings at the kids’ table, and to dive into the meatier offerings of the Life. You can find such in the apostolic writings and in the types and shadows of Messiah in the old scriptures.

    Hebrews 5:12-14

  5. Veggies

    6. These complement the rich foods that lie heavy on the soul and mind. These edify and strengthen the saints.

    Romans 14:19
    Hebrews 10:24 – think “stir up, whip up” potatoes!
    1 Corinthians 14:26 – look at these as a vegetable medley!

    Veggies prevent cancers, obesity, high blood pressure, eye diseases, bodily infections; provide fiber, vitamins, potassium, iron, contain no cholesterol, etc. They’re the perfect compliment to the meats of rich doctrine, and they’ll be found in the psalms, gospels and parts of the epistles

  6. Salt

    7. – salt as a covenant of peace

    Mark 9:50
    Ephesians 4:3

    The exchange of salt was an ancient symbol of friendship and even marriage commitment. If salt was left outside, in the elements, it would spoil and be useless. It needs to be guarded, shielded, covered, protected, like all our relationships.

  7. Seasoning

    8. – conversation among family, words of grace

    Colossians 4:6
    Proverbs 16:24

    ‘Seasoned with salt‘ meant be interesting, tactful, engaging; we are often guilty of benign, insipid conversation.

    Don’t drone on and be boring. If you’re not a skilled conversationalist, talk less, listen more.

    Say things that spark enlightenment, give encouragement, offer revelation, proffer instruction. Enough of meaningless small talk! And no long soliloquies and bloviated one-sided teaching, either! Sometimes verbal tweeting is perfect dialogue mechanics!

    A 17th century nun prayed:
    (language updated)

    Lord, You know me better than I know myself that I am growing older and will someday be old. Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occassion. Release me from the craving to straighten out everybody’s affairs. Make me thoughtful, but not moody. Helpful, but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all, but You know, Lord, I want a few friends at the end. Keep my mind free from the endless recital of details; give me wings to get to the point. Seal my lips on my aches and pains. They are increasing, and love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. I dare not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of others’ pains, but help me to endure them with patience. I dare not ask for improved memory, but for a growing humility and a lessening cocksureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occassionally, I may be mistaken. Keep me reasonably sweet. I do not want to be a saint – some of them are so hard to live with. But a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil. Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places, and talents in unexpected people. And give me, Lord, the grace to tell them so. Amen

  8. Bread

    9. – sharing my livelihood and plenty with my brothers and sisters; generosity

    1 John 3:17
    Romans 12:13

    The Romans text, “show hospitality”, means to be fond of (friend of) guests, aliens, and strangers.

    Our English translations make it two separate ideas: share with the saints…and also practice hospitality. But Paul is saying ‘when you share with each other, hospitality is fulfilled’ or ‘you show hospitality whenever you share’ – not only money, but to share joys and sorrows as well.

  9. Wine

    – sweet fellowship; intimate communion

    Remember when Jesus served uber wine to the wedding guests long after the party had begun and the wine had played out?

    When His is served, the guests marvel that the host would save the best for last when it was customary to serve the very best initially.

    Our takeaway is to offer the 100-proof wine of Jesus’ Life to one another at all times, on all occasions, never withholding.

    Romans 12:10 – outdo each other…with wine-fellowship!

    All too often, this is the sentiment among the church homies:

    To live be above, with saints we love
    That will be glory!
    To live below, with saints we know
    That’s another story!

    Let’s turn that into:

    Blessed be the tie that binds
    Our hearts in Christian love;
    The fellowship of kindred minds
    Is like to that above.

  10. Second (and Third) Helpings

    11. – recognizing the generous blessings of God

    Read Romans 5:9-17 carefully and underline ALL the “much more” and “more than” phrases. It’s a beautiful way to see that our salvation is a MORE THAN salvation, always more, constantly blessing, taking us from heaping helping to heaping helping of glorious grace!

    To draw to an end (so I’m not grandstanding, soap-boxing and bloviating), let me offer this moving tribute to those who first settled our shores. Be blessed to know that – in their less than ideal situation of death and disease – they never forgot the MORE THAN of their salvation, that His love was more than enough to conquer their sadness and give them pause…to be overwhelmingly thankful.

    May His grace bring this to your remembrance as well.

    The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.
    ~ H.U. Westermayer

    Selah, fellow pilgrims.

    Thoughts? Comments? Testimony?