Tag 1 Corinthians

Love Bigger Than Mountains

Todd R Leave a comment

Would you be impressed if I moved a mountain by faith?  The apostle Paul might not be.  1 Corinthians 13 begins with these 3 verses:

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“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

In these verses Paul uses wild exaggeration to make a point about the importance of love above all else.  Can anyone move mountains with faith?  It’s never been literally done, but even if someone did, and the reason for doing it was wrong, it would mean nothing.  Has anyone literally given away everything they have?

Also note the repetition of the word “all,” which appears 4 times.  Nobody but God has all understanding, knowledge, and faith, and in Jesus He gave up all He had for us.  Paul is saying that even if we were Godlike in these things, which we aren’t, without love even it wouldn’t matter.

No matter how “impressive” our actions are, if done for the wrong reason, they are useless.

Even if we move mountains, love is what really matters.

Avoiding Beehive Morality

Todd R 1 Comment

Anyone who has watched very young kids play soccer, or especially anyone who has coached youth soccer, knows what I mean by “Beehive Soccer”:  Two lonely and bored goalkeepers stand by their goals at each end of the field, while both teams of players closely swarm around one ball.  Some of the players on each team have an idea which direction to kick the ball, but others just want to kick it.  Often a kicked ball ricochets around inside the swarm, unable to escape the vortex of kids.  The goalkeepers might as well play with some blades of grass, or bugs if they’re lucky.

At Beehive Soccer games, parents on the sideline cheer at any progress at all, and grimace whenever some kid (perhaps theirs) nearly takes a soccer ball to the face.  Coaches yell “spread out!”, then shake their heads, put their hands on their hips, then yell “spread out!” again a moment later.  Coaches must let the parents know they are doing something, and it’s all in good fun – they (the kids) will grow out of it.

Often morality is pursued in the same way.  In Beehive Morality, masses of people crowd around one problem, kicking aimlessly, organized by vague goals, or even just some anger and some hashtags on social media, but doomed to reach a less-than-ideal solution because their activities are not organized.  Maybe they attempt to swarm around multiple goals at the same time.

In Beehive Soccer, young kids have not had time to be coached and learn coordination based on individual positions, nor are many of them mature enough to pay attention to coaching when all of the other kids are playing Beehive Soccer.  It’s no fun being the only kid playing by the rules.  In society, too many behave the same way, thinking the objective is just to show enthusiasm for whatever game is being played that day, but making no real progress.  Many play along and keep “kicking” because it’s no fun being the only person left out of the crowd.

In economics, this is called a Coordination Problem, where multiple people aren’t aligned and cooperating toward a common goal.  Unfortunately, Beehive Morality can cause a Coordination Problem in the church, but in 1 Corinthians 9:24-26, the apostle Paul encourages the church in Corinth (and every church today than can read Paul’s letter) to focus on a goal, and put every effort toward it: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.  Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.”  This “beating the air” reminds me of the Beehive Soccer kids, or Beehive Morality adults – there’s a lot of activity, but not a lot of coordinated work toward a real, helpful, objective.

But what are the objectives for God’s people?  The two most important commandments – the instructions of our Coach – are: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”, and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”[1]

Elsewhere, Paul has advice as the young Timothy’s “coach,” sharing these words of encouragement in 2 Timothy 2:3-6 – “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.  An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.  It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.”[2]  The soldier and athlete look forward to victory, and the farmer looks forward to harvest, but until then must work diligently, enduring sacrifice in patience, knowing the reward is worth the temporary problems, even if sometimes it’s no fun not kicking along with the crowd and playing Beehive Soccer.

Remember, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”, and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Swarming around the ball labelled with the current hot hashtag topic – or many topics – is not the objective.

[1] From Matthew 22:37 and 39
[2] 2 Timothy 2:3-6

God Knows Where the Grass is Greenest

Todd R 1 Comment

The Old Testament book of Numbers has a story about Balak, the king of Moab.  Scared of Israel after seeing their military success, he was desperate to find a way to avoid defeat himself.  Balak sought out Balaam, known as a prophet who spoke oracles, to curse Israel for him. After repeatedly paying Balaam and making many sacrifices, Balaam refused to curse Israel because God told him to bless Israel, not curse them.  Balak would not give up, and before a third try, “Balak said to Balaam, ‘Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.’” (Numbers 23:27)

Where did Balak get the idea that changing location would get God on his side?  That changing location would change God’s mind or bring God’s blessing to Balak (in the form of a curse on Israel)?  Doesn’t it seem naïve?  God’s character doesn’t change with location, or any other circumstances.

However, how often do we think a change in circumstances will bring God’s blessing?  How often do we pray that God change our situation because we think the grass is greener somewhere else?  Maybe if I lived in a different place, God would bless me.  Maybe if I got a better job, would it be a blessing?  Maybe if I went to a different church?  Maybe if I was in a different relationship?   Maybe if God would put us where we want to be, that He will bless us then?  Are we saying “come with us God to another place, and perhaps it will please You to bless us there” in another way?

Warren Wiersbe wrote that “We are prone to think that a change in circumstances is always the answer to a problem. But the problem is usually within us and not around us. The heart of every problem is the problem in the heart.”[1]

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God calls each of us for specific reasons, and the circumstances may be part of the reason.  Referencing whether it is better to be married or single, circumcised or uncircumcised, slave or free, the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:24, “So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.”  In other words, God wants to bless you in, or even through, your present circumstances.  He may change them, but He may not.

In God’s plan, the grass is usually greenest right where we already are. If we can faithfully be the blessing needed in our circumstances, God will be faithful in His time and place.  He will bless His people, only sometimes with better circumstances, but always with spiritual fruit.

God always says: “Come now, I will be with you where you are. It pleases me to bless you in all situations and circumstances.”

The grass is greenest where He is.

[1] Wiersbe, Warren.  Be Wise (1 Corinthians) (1982).

Limited Boasting

Todd R 2 Comments

I took a strategy class years ago in business school, but about the only thing I remember the professor saying is (paraphrasing): “Strategy includes not only doing our best at what we do but also deciding what not to do.”  There were a couple of points to this.  One, it’s important to not get distracted in order to do the things that need to be done.  Second, and more importantly, it’s essential to be deliberate and intentional about what we should not be doing.  We should know what things ours are to deal with and which things aren’t.  Not that we can always avoid things, but strategy involves knowing what those things are.

The apostles Paul and Peter understood this principle.  In Romans 11:13, Paul referred to himself as “an apostle to the Gentiles.”  Of course, he often preached in the Jewish synagogues of the towns he visited, but he knew his emphasis should be on getting the Gospel to the Gentiles.[1]  On the other hand, the focus of Peter’s ministry was the Jews.  When he wrote 1 Peter, he addressed it to the “Dispersion,”[2] referring mainly to Jews living outside of Palestine, but he also knew Gentiles would benefit from it.

It is this division of labor that Paul refers to in 2 Corinthians 10:13 – “But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you.”

Paul did not boast in his own work but freely boasted of the work of God through him.  He wasn’t being arrogant, but giving God the glory for anything he succeeded in.  But even so, Paul knew his boasting had to be limited to work that was specifically his to do, in this case taking the gospel to Gentiles in Corinth.

If Peter and Paul had limits, each of us do as well.  God understands this better than anyone, since he is the one working through us and also defining those limits, or our “area of influence.”  Warren Wiersbe, commenting on the verse, wrote: “God is not going to measure us on the basis of the gifts and opportunities that He gave to Charles Spurgeon or Billy Sunday. He will measure my work by what He assigned to me.”[3]

It’s a shame in our culture that we have phrases like “silence is complicity,” as if every problem is every person’s problem to solve, and as if speaking out about problems is as good as actually doing something about them.  It’s also a shame that over-emphasis on other people’s problems can easily, and often, keep us from dealing with things right in front of us.  But how do we know what to deal with and not deal with?  Our social media feeds are not the answer.

Knowing our “area of influence”, in my experience, requires constant cultivation of our relationship with God.  Bible study, prayer, meditation, fellowship.  When I’ve made those investments, it’s been amazing how what God says to me has application to specific life situations.  Maybe when I read about patience, I find myself in a situation where it’s hard to be patient.  Maybe I read about holiness, and it makes me confront some sin or bad habit in my life.  Maybe I read about forgiveness and think of someone I may be ignoring or holding a grudge against.  Maybe I learn about a new way to express my spiritual gifts or find a new person to share them with.  Maybe I read about caring for widows and orphans and I learn about a single mother who needs help.

Not all tasks are ours to do, but it’s important to note that we are accountable for the tasks God has for us.  “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10).  While he doesn’t call one person and ask them to do everything, He does call many and gives them their roles.

But the point of this post is that we can’t do everything.  Many situations require prayer that God will provide someone to help.  Someone to bring Christ into that situation.  Sometimes I’ve come across the solution later or found someone else who is in a position to help, but still, I’m not accountable to God for being perfect, for helping everyone I come across.

If we’re paying attention to the “area of influence” in front of us instead of every possible problem in the world, God can do great things through each of us.  But if we don’t intentionally decide to strategically leave some problems alone, we may find ourselves aimless and spinning our wheels.

May God give us all direction.

“But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you.”

[1] See also 1 Timothy 2:7
[2] 1 Peter 1:1
[3] Wiersbe, Warren.  Be Encouraged (2 Corinthians) (1994).  P. 136. 

Zap! The Best Action Figures for Christmas

Todd R Leave a comment

Dear fellow travelers,

A hot Christmas gift when I was a kid were G.I. Joe toys.  These “Real American Heroes” were a line of action figures, vehicles and other accessories that fought against the evil Cobra organization which was trying to take over the world (of course).  In 1982, they were even hotter, after Hasbro added “Swivel Arm Battle Grip” to the design to differentiate G.I. Joe from the also-popular Star Wars figures.

Zap looks much better in action than in the box.

The swivel in the middle of the figure’s bicep allowed 360-degree rotation.  The swivel isn’t a shoulder, elbow, or hand, but without it, bazooka soldier (Code Name: Zap) can’t pose as modeled on the package pictured here.  I had “Zap” and tried it for myself.  It took some experimentation, but eventually the way the shoulder, swivel, and elbow were made worked together and Zap looked like Zap should look.

Why so much detail about action figures in a Christian blog?  Because the Christian church is described in the Bible as the body of Christ, and in 1 Corinthians 12:14-16, the apostle Paul assures us that, without every single member of the church participating, the body of Christ is incomplete:

“For the body does not consist of one member but of many.  If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body.  And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body.”

Like Zap without “Swivel Arm Battle Grip,” the church will not perform as God intended unless all parts of the body participate, but sometimes it’s not clear to each of us what part of the body of Christ we are.  To some of us, others may clearly look like a shoulder, elbow, or hand, but we don’t know our part.  To some of us, others may look like the “hands and feet of Jesus” (to use a common phrase), but people don’t say the same about us.  Remember that Paul says “that would not make it any less a part of the body.”

Today, let’s return to one of this blog’s key verses, Hebrews 10:24, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.”  When we don’t clearly know the specifics of our part, maybe we are the “Swivel Arm Battle Grip” – the innovative, new part with a weird name that helps the other parts fit together and work as God intended.  But also, when we do know our part, is the objective any different?