Humble Yourself

I'm going to take a few minutes to write what may be one of the only posts that ever coincides with what being taught concurrently in my church.  It has become very easy for us as Christians to become wrapped up in guidelines, signposts, and definitions.  We can easily become defined by what causes we support or what books we do or do not read or our personal standards of righteousness.  There is nothing wrong with setting standards to be sure, but we have to be very careful not to change the message of Christianity from joy to an ideological prison.  

This is not to say that all preaching or all theological or spiritual discourse should be upbeat and peppy; that would also lack authenticity.  What it does mean is that whatever we preach, advocate or share should always have something to offer people.  The message of Christ should always carry a sense of joy and possibility.  As Lewis describes: 

We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

Too often we lose sight of this.  Instead of a joy our faith itself becomes a negative thing, something that we qualify by what we're not doing, how bad we haven't been.  "I didn't yell at anyone today", or "I haven't lusted after a woman in awhile."  When and if we begin to think these things unbelievers are right to point out that our faith has become petty and useless.  There is very little power in simply refraining from active evil.  

Rather, the spirit of God that is in us is something that is meant to give life - to reconnect people with God and divine purpose, and in the process illustrate how small and petty our personal attempts at fulfillment are.  It is not something that is meant to be hoarded or that can be nurtured by self-interest, fear, or bitterness.  Instead we need to be willing to have compassion and to give of ourselves without the fear that we'll be somehow taken advantage of.  What exactly can man take from us that God cannot return to us and multiply?

But at the same time, our resistance to this kind of ministry is often based in our experiences.  Either someone used our compassion or we thought so large that we ended up doing nothing.  Personally I've struggled with both.  To the first, the best answer is probably what has already been said:  If showing compassion and having mercy (going out of your way to help those who are afflicted) is a kind of ministry, then what do we stand to lose from doing this?  If it is something that you have been molded for then God will support you in it.  This is not to say that your compassion will not be tempered with experience; we will all learn better ways to use our gifts and sometimes its best to withhold what someone wants so that they can discover what they need.  It is not always best to give your child their new toy, at some point they must earn it by making a contribution and regarding their fellow man.  Taking the time to teach this sort of principle is also an act of compassion.   

As for the problem of thinking too large, it's likely a problem many of us suffer from.  I want to join the peace corps, but I should really spend more time at the homeless shelter first.  One of the things that we keep echoing around the church is "find something small to do and do it well."  This is generally true, because what you're looking to cultivate is not a great work but an attitude of humility and service.  The former of those glorifies you, the latter glorifies God.  And that is the far better place to be.  

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: 

to visit orphans and widows in the trouble, and to keep oneself 

unspotted from the world.

James 1:27