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.

Between God and the Devil

 The spiritual essence of human life is determined by the choice between two persons who demand our loyalty. One is God and the other is his antagonist, the Devil. The followers of Christ have already made their choice by choosing God and shunning the Devil. However, the Devil will not leave them so easily. He hangs around.

Apostle James advises, “humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). To live away from the sphere of the Devil’s influence we must humble before God and resist the devil.

Prophet Micah who lived in eighth century B. C., advised the people to “walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). We need to humble before God because he never helps those who are proud as James says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6, ESV). Those who humble themselves before God must keep resisting the Devil to live in allegiance to God.

The Devil is busy. He keeps tempting God’s people, but he gives up those who do not yield. He is very economical in his efforts. He leaves those who resist him to go after easy targets without wasting his time on the strong-willed. He tempted Jesus in the wilderness and when Jesus did not surrender to his offers “then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus” (Matthew 4:11, NLT).

Each time we give in to the temptations that the Devil brings up, we are giving him more space to govern our lives. So, it is important to keep resisting. This is the spiritual warfare that are we are in on this side of the eternity—keep resisting the Devil to cling on to God.

Three Shades of Trust

However long may be our fuse, we finally explode. The difference is only in the time it takes. Remember, on its way to the explosive crux the ignition keeps the fuse hot. That is the fretting all of us go through occasionally. The Psalmist, an old wise man (Psa 37:25) gently admonishes “do not fret!” (Psa 37:1). I am certain that he might have learned this valuable lesson from his long journey of life.

The Hebrew verb translated as “fret” has the sense of “heating up” or “being hot.”  Though most translations translate it as “fret”, if given the opportunity I would translate it as “do not fume over.”

The psalmist talks about the godly people becoming envious of the godless people who are faring well in their life. Though godly seems to have all that they need, and doing well, they fret over the comparatively better benefits that the ungodly have. So, the Psalmist elaborates the idea of “fretting” as “being envious” in the next line.

The trigger that causes our fretting may not be the same as what the Psalmist describes here. Though the reasons for fretting over might be different, the cure that the psalm prescribes apply to all scenarios of fretting. It is a “one size fit all” kind of remedy.

Before we move on to talk about the cure, we need to understand that if left untreated fretting could harm us extremely badly. It causes tremendous stress that may paralyzes us. Most importantly, it blocks our mind in such a way as that we cannot focus or hear God. Fretting is a spiritual impediment. It may lead us to fight with those who cause us to worry, where victory is not always assured. What makes us fret may still hold the fort after a war of words.

Trusting in God is the remedy to get over getting over fretting: trust over fret! According to the Psalmist, trust is divided into three shades, and we need each one. Trust in God should be focused, joyful, and wise.

First, trust in should be focused. “Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness” (Psa 37:3). In the following lines he elaborates what trusting the Lord means.

 I understand this line as saying, trust in the Lord while you keep doing good. The focus in on doing good or being fit for the purpose for which we are created by God. In the Bible “being good” is to serve the purpose for which something is made. An apple that can not be eaten is not good apple nor a rose that never blooms is not a good rose worth keeping. Trusting in the Lord is to take our eyes off from what distracts us from our God-ordained task. When we are immersed in serving God’s purpose in our lives, there is no time to fret over anything.

Focussed trust comes with its own rewards which is dwelling in the land in order to feed on God’s own faithfulness. The word translated as “befriend” in ESV can also be rendered as “feed on.” (See the ESV note.) As we focus in fulfilling the God-ordained purposes in our lives, God responds by constantly supplying us by his faithfulness. He makes us satisfied.

A second shade of trust in God is joy, it is joyful trust. “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psa 37:4). The word “delight” evokes the experience of eating. We don’t eat to just fill the stomach. In choosing the places to eat and ordering the food we make sure our eating is a delightful experience. That is why the restaurant reviews talk about the décor of the place. That is the reason why the menu card also carries the pictures of the food (along with the price). When we eat, we roll the food in in our mouth before swallowing it. No child washes down MnM (the chocolate brand) with a glass of water though each piece of MnM looks like tablets. But they are colourful chocolate balls. Those who love MnM allow it to slowly melt in their mouth, cherish its taste if it remains and takes another one when the one in the mouth is gone! That is delighting in.

Trusting in God should be a similar delightful experience. God rewards by such trust by granting the desires of our heart. When we delight in God, God keeps us delighted in him. When trust in God raises to that level of delightful experience then there is not reason to fret. We are fully engrossed in what God has done in our life.

A third shade of trust is that it is wise. We don’t trust God blindly, but it is insightful that brings a divine calm in to our lives. “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him” (Psa 37:7). What is being still? Stillness is that quality of life that there is nothing to be anxious about. The psalm opens with a wise observation that the things that we usually fret over are not there for ever. “For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb” (Psa 37:2). From his life lessons, the old wise man realized that the pomp and glory of the godless would not last forever. It is this divine insight on life that enriches our trust in God. To trust God is not to be foolish. It is the wisest choice we have made.

When God orders our lives, we don't need to spend energy on venting our frustrations. We don’t stall on the way like a car that stops in the middle of nowhere on the highway as the heat builds up in the engine. As it has always kept itself cool, it runs its course steadily.

Crowd Encouragement

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us” (Heb 12:1, NLT).

I am always inspired to go after a challenge when I realize others have gone before me. It need not be high-risk adventures like walking through a long, dark, narrow tunnel, bungee jumping in a remote location, or paragliding over a deep gorge. It could be any mundane aspects of life, where bold, confident action is involved.

Christian life is an adventure. It is a journey to the invisible, eternity or our life with God that we never been to through unfamiliar territories. In this journey every step is stimulated by faith in Jesus Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

But still, when tempted to give up hope and confidence comes from the realization that we are not alone but there are others who have already completed this race successfully. This verse is the climax of the long list of heroes of faith that begins in the previous chapter (Chapter 11). These superheroes of faith crossed the finish line, and they await our arrival as we are still on our way. This crowd of witnesses motivates us in our Christian race. If they could do it, then we can do it too.

“O, Lord, give me the same strength that you gave to those who went ahead of me to complete their race despite discouragement, weakness, and doubt. Let me run this race with the strength you give me."