Unselfishness

Posted on by korgrocker

“We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. … For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.” Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.”
Romans 15:1, 3-4 NLT

It is worth repeating Romans 15:1, because Paul appealed to his audience to “not just please [them]selves”. There is something that seems to be ingrained within us and that is the thought, the practice, that we should look after our own interests above all others. We call it selfishness. But Paul also appealed to the Philippians with the same instruction, “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too” (Philippians 2:4). And as an example he used the truth that even Jesus “didn’t live to please Himself”. As well as living a sinless and selfless life, Jesus taught His disciples about their relationships with each other. He said, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35). By loving each other we will put the needs of others above our own needs and we will not live just to please ourselves. 

In Philippians 2, Paul summarised how Jesus lived. In Philippians 2:6-8, Paul, writing about Jesus, said, “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross”. How could the Creator of the Universe cast all the comforts and wonder of Heaven aside and instead become a human being, with all the mortal limitations that such an act would bring? Something incomprehensible and unique among all other religions, until it is discovered what God’s plan would be. Mankind, polluted and corrupted by sin, was at a dead end, and God had a plan to resolve the situation. It involved Jesus, God’s Son, and the whole Bible has a thread of God’s love running through it, with a crescendo of grace and mercy erupting at Calvary. What an example to mankind! What a Saviour! 

In Romans 12:10 we read, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another“. We will have plenty of opportunities to be unselfish in this life. It may be something trivial, like allowing some one else to have the last sandwich at a picnic. Or giving way to another car in a traffic jam. There are many stories of unselfish acts carried out by soldiers on a battlefield. examples and opportunities are endless. Jesus showed us what unselfishness looks like. He devoted His life to helping others. As far as we are able, so must we.

Dear God. Looking out for others is at the heart of our faith. Please help us to make good use of every opportunity that comes our way, to prefer others over our own needs. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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God Has a Plan

Posted on by korgrocker

“God has now revealed to us His mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfil His own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.“
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1:9-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Hardly a day goes by without us making a plan of some sort. We plan the things we have to do in the day ahead. We plan how to get to work. What shopping we need. And then there is the process of planning a holiday, or a building project in the garden. Life is full of plans and the associated costs in implementing them. Jesus referred to the importance of planning – in Luke 14, He pointed out to His disciples that there was a cost involved if they wished to follow Him. And He used the examples of building a tower, or going to war, as events needing a plan. Of course, there are many days when we don’t make a plan. Perhaps a leisure day. But even then the decision not to make a plan is a plan in itself. I was once involved in planning major engineering projects and the saying “Fail to plan and you plan to fail” was often demonstrated by cost overruns and time delays. Life is full of plans.

So it must be no surprise to us to find that God has a plan. In fact the Bible is full of circumstances and events where God had a plan. For example, He orchestrated the events around the birth of Jesus, events meticulously planned out and recorded in the Gospels. In our verses today, Paul records that God’s plan started out as a mystery. Why did Jesus come? Why did He have to die? These, and many other events that took place during His short life here on Planet Earth totally flummoxed the peoples living in Palestine at that time. The plan they thought God would one day implement to set His people free was nothing like the one God had in His mind. 

Paul reminded the Ephesians of what God’s plan was. It started with a young peasant girl saying “Yes” to an angel visitor; the subsequent birth, life and death of God’s own Son, Jesus. And His plan continued through the work of the early church as God’s plan for salvation was preached, and continues to be preached, throughout the world, to this day. In the spiritual realms, Jesus is building a house for us, because one day we who are Christians will join Him there. And then there is a day coming when Jesus will assume command over “everything”, not just a religion. “Everything” includes, well, everything. Governments, peoples, societies and so on down to the smallest particle ever created. Of course, it doesn’t stop there – it will involve all of Heaven as well. Jesus’ authority will be total. That is God’s plan, a mystery no more.

There is an amazing and mind-boggling implication in all of this. As God’s people, we are not observers, mere pilgrims standing on the touch lines of life, looking on as God’s plan is worked out through our traditional outlets such as missionary organisations and churches. We all have the opportunity to play a part in God’s plan. Of course we all cannot just up and leave our families and jobs to preach the Gospel in far-off lands, though perhaps some will be called to do so. But our part is very important, no matter how small we think it might be. God has resourced His plan with ordinary human beings, whom He has placed in just the right time and place to further His plan. We are no less important in our roles as Mary was two thousand years ago. Our role might not be so dramatic and high profile as being the Mother of Jesus, but in its own way our interaction with our friends, family and communities is still part of God’s plan. Because in doing what God has asked us to do we are bringing forward that day Paul called, “At the right time”.

So in our Pilgrimage through life, we have a job to do. We are not just plodding along towards Heaven, hoping that it won’t be too long before we get there. On the way we will meet other pilgrims, who God has plans for too. Our interaction with them in the way God requires is all part of God’s plan. Perhaps all He wants us to do is to give a cheery and encouraging word, “at the right time”. There may be some practical help involved in the case of others. We may be asked to build relational bridges with those who are outcasts and unloved – after all, Jesus was often accused of being a friend of sinners. We may be required to sow Gospel seeds not just through our words but also by the way we live.

One last thought. A very humbling thought. God doesn’t use the great saints of history to fulfil His plan. He uses sinners like you and me. Ordinary punters with our struggles with the sins we commit. With the issues of life. In the end, we are after all, “Beggars showing other beggars where to find bread”, to quote Bishop D T Niles. And one day, “at the right time”, we will hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23). We praise You Lord!