Serve with Power, Love, and Self-discipline

“This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:6—7). Paul wrote this letter towards the end of his life to his young colleague Timothy, who will continue the ministry by caring for the churches they founded. Paul advises Timothy to remain faithful and continue his example in faith and ministry.

To emulate Paul in his life and ministry, Timothy does not need any more spiritual gifts; he has all he requires to serve God and God’s people. But he has to “fan to flame” what he has already received. An ember would slowly die and grow cold if not fanned to flame. Similarly, spiritual gifts given to us for service will die if not used regularly and properly. The master condemned the person who buried the talent, but those who multiplied what they were entrusted with were honoured and trusted with more (Matt 25:14—30). Similarly, the Lord endowed spiritual gifts to us (1 Cor 12) to serve others and help them grow in faith and maturity. If we fail to use them, we fail to serve others, and the gifts may be taken away. Some fear using the gifts of the Spirit they are given. But this contradicts the very nature of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of “power, love, and self-discipline.” On the contrary, “fear” describes a person fleeing the battle. A follower of Christ empowered with the gifts of the Holy Spirit should not flee but keep fighting and advancing. The first step in using the gifts of the Spirit given to us is to realise its inherent power. The second is to love the people we serve so that we cannot withhold using it to serve them. Third, it requires self-disciple, a life structured according to God’s will. For example, a person with the gift of healing (1 Cor 12:9) should not shy away from sick persons but boldly offer to pray, disregarding the medical probability of healing. That is advancing boldly. We can take that bold step only if we love those persons and seek their well-being. It takes self-discipline and re-ordering our personal lives to be there for them and pray for them. It is time for many of us to find out what gifts the Holy Spirit has given us and put them to use for the benefit of others before the ember dies out.

Re-wiring Minds for Eternity

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col 3:1—2). Christian faith is not just a set of beliefs but involves experiencing the Lord daily. Growing in faith means experiencing more and more of our Saviour and Lord and becoming increasingly like him.

The Christian life begins when we recognise the need for a saviour and continues as we identify with him in his death and resurrection in Christian baptism. We are seated with him through the spiritual resurrection, though we are still physically on earth. Paul sums up this experience: “Even when we were dead in our trespasses, (God) made us alive together with Christ—by grace, you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus….” (Eph 2:5—7). People who have accepted the salvation God offers through Jesus Christ should also know that they are destined for life in another world. They must have a different orientation of mind than the unsaved. People who have experienced God’s salvation and belong to the world where Christ is should re-orient their minds from things of this world to things of that world. Just as a person who plans to immigrate to another country gets rid of things that are of no use in the new country, learns the language, culture, and manners of the host country, and lives each day waiting for the day of entry in the new country, so must we too; feet on this earth, eyes on the world above with eager anticipation. Jesus had promised that one day, he would take us to be with him: “I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3). This re-orientation of thinking, hopes, and aspirations determines the quality of Christian life we live. Paul reminded Philippians, who were Romans by citizenship, that “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:20). This realisation of where we belong gives the momentum for the Christian life. Instead of being stagnant, in Paul’s words, we must forget “what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, [and] press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:13—14).

Praying at the Face of Threats

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright” (Psa 20:7—8). Read Psalm 20:1—9.

Wishing the king success as he set out for military campaigns was a significant part of the life of nations in the ancient world. Only one party wins any battle. Defeat is the last chapter in the life of that nation. The king who leads the battle may lose his life, along with many army officers and soldiers. The survivors will end up in exile in faraway nations, never to see their homeland again. Psalms 20 and 21 are written against this historical background. The first one is the prayer offered while sending out the army led by the king, and the second one celebrates the victory. In this case, the king and the army returned victorious. In the first five verses of Psalm 20, the subjects wish that everything will go well with the king. As they wish the king success, the people do not praise the king or his army for their power or abilities. But they invoke the blessing of the Lord upon the soldiers stepping into a venture that would decide the destiny of their nation, praying, “May he (the Lord).” Every sentence begins with this phrase and seven times in five verses! The Lord determines the outcome of the battle. They reiterate this truth in the following verses. The enemy seems to be stronger and has advanced battle equipment like chariots and horses. Israel was always far behind other nations technologically. In the late bronze age, when the Canaanites had fortified cities, horses and chariots, they had none. Later in the Iron Age, when the Philistines knew iron technology and had swords and spears, Israel had only two swords in the entire nation—one for Saul and another for his son Jonathan. Later in the eighth century, when Assyrians threatened them, Hezekiah had to buy horses and chariots from Egypt to withstand the enemy. Though poor in the armoury, they had great confidence in the Lord. Their history has taught them to say: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright” (Psa 20:7—8). Knowing that no nation is a match for the Lord they serve, they prayed: “O LORD, save the king! May he answer us when we call” (Psa 20:9). Yes he did, that is the story the following Psalm tells. The Lord who collapsed the walls of Jericho without an arrow shot, who helped David to fell the gaint with just one sling shot, did it again. When we stare at formidable challenges, fear of failure, our confidence is in the Lord who repeats history for his faithful.

From the Stars to God’s Story

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer” (Psa 19:14). The starry sky over a village on a dark day is a treat for the eyes, but the city's sky, polluted with light from automobiles, street lights, and high-rise buildings, dims this view. Stunned by this display, the psalmist lying on his back outside his house muses: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psa 19:1). In the day, he watches the sun rising in the East and moving to the West, lightening and warming the earth (Psa 19:4—6). The creation is a witness to the splendour of its creator.

The psalmist's musings stray to another revelation of the creator of the universe in the second part of the Psalm (Psa 19:7—14). It is the Bible, the revelation of God’s will, that he gave to his people to know him and follow him. “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (Psa 19:7). The Scripture, where God’s will is revealed, does far more than what the sun, moon, and stars could do. While the constellation lights up, warms, and makes life possible on this blue planet, real life with God is only possible through God's Word. The Word of God imparts wisdom (v. 7), brings gladness to the human heart (v.8), and is most desirable. “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb” Psa 19:10). It is more desirable than scanning the starry sky or enjoying the cool of the cheesy moon or warming up in the Sun on a beech. The Word of God makes life with God richer as we ponder on the truths in its pages. Nature reveals God, but the Word of God goes deeper. It shows how to get closer to the creator as it guides us in the path of God by warning when our feet stray away from the path of life (Psa 19:11). By tracing the journey of his thoughts from the creation to the Word of the creator, the Psalmist invites us to delve into the Word and cherish it to grow in wisdom.