In the Right Place

One sleepless night this week as I was mulling over a problem, I had the thought, “Maybe I just don’t have enough faith for this situation.” That led me down the self-condemning path of feeling inferior to other Christians. However, a visit to 1 Corinthians 12 corrected my thinking.

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills” (vv. 4-11).

The gift of faith here isn’t referring to salvation but to a supernatural dependence on God for things that seem unlikely by human standards. We don’t all have this degree of faith, but we don’t need to feel bad about that, because it is God who gives the gifts as He sees fit. By the same Spirit, those who have the gift of faith may not have the gifts of wisdom or knowledge. So although they may believe that something is possible through God’s providence, they may not know if it’s not the wisest choice in a particular situation. Both perspectives are needed.

The Apostle Paul goes on to say that every body part is necessary. There are no unnecessary gifts or superfluous people in the church. Those who have the gifts of service or administration can’t say, “The church doesn’t need me.” Nor can those with the gift of teaching say, “We don’t need you here.” We are all needed for the proper function of the Body of Christ. (I won’t get into the issue of dispensationalism and whether all the gifts listed in Scripture are still active today, except to say that people in other countries seem to experience a lot more of that than we do in our Western, scientific mindset.)

At the end of chapter 12, Paul does seem to give a bit of ranking of the gifts and refers to “the higher gifts” (v. 31). Commentaries differ on how exactly to interpret this, but it cannot contradict the preceding verses that say there is no room for envy or contempt based on what gifts each person has. That can sometimes be hard in the church, where the more visible gifts tend to be valued more. We even hear it in our common lingo when we refer to someone having a “charismatic personality,” meaning that they tend to be visionary, influential, and popular leaders. But according to Scripture, all Christians have charisma, which is the Greek word for gifts used in verse 4 and in Romans 12:6. Personality is not necessarily related to spiritual gifts.

Those of us who are gifted for behind the scenes work in the church are no less important than the ones who are on the platform every week. Each of us with our unique gifts and abilities are needed for the church to flourish. So be encouraged in whatever role you can fill in your local church—God has you there for a reason. As Paul wrote in Romans 12:6-8:

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

© 2022 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

What Can I Say?

I’ve been debating all week what to write. Given the current tensions in our country, I fear saying the wrong thing. I fear offending someone unintentionally because I use the wrong words or don’t know all the facts and experiences of others. But I also fear saying nothing. I don’t want to be seen as complicit in evil because I don’t speak up. I think a lot of people are in the same boat. We want to support our brothers and sisters of other races because we are all made in the image of God, but we just don’t know what to say or do.

I started reading The Peacemaker by Ken Sande, and he makes some good observations on 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 (NIV): “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

“[The] Bible teaches that we should see conflict neither as an inconvenience nor as an occasion to force our will on others, but rather as an opportunity to demonstrate the love and power of God in our lives… This passage encourages us to look at conflict as an opportunity to glorify God, serve others, and grow to be like Christ” (ch. 1).

“Rights are not something you deserve and possess for your own benefit. Rather, they are privileges given to you by God, and he wants you to use them for his glory and to benefit others, especially by helping them to know Christ… Thus, whenever there is a question about your rights, you should ask yourself questions like these:

“‘Will exercising my rights honor God by showing the power of the gospel in my life?’ ‘Will exercising my rights advance God’s kingdom—or will it advance only my interests at the expense of his kingdom?’ ‘Will exercising my rights benefit others?’ ‘Is exercising my rights essential for my own well-being?’” (ch. 4).

The Declaration of Independence and Constitution provide for certain “unalienable rights,” yet we can all point to examples where people have misused their rights and harmed others. The abuse of authority leads to wrongful death. The abuse of free speech breaks hearts and inflames anger. God calls us to a higher standard: “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor… If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:10, 18, 21 ESV). “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person by quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).

What then can I say? I’d start with “I’m sorry.” I’m sorry that people have abused their power and privileges and have caused harm and even death to your family and friends. I’m sorry that many of us have sat back and watched and not lifted a finger to help. I’m sorry that it has taken this long for me and others like me to even try to understand what you’ve gone through your whole life. I’m sorry for the times I have not spoken up when others have said unkind or untrue things or have been rude and inconsiderate to you. And I’m sorry to the young man I offended when I used a wrong term because I didn’t think how it would be heard by someone from a different background, and thank you for being gracious enough not to react to my ignorance.

I hope you know that many of us want to understand and to do a better job of loving you. We need your help to know what we can say and do to help and not to harm.

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another” (Galatians 5:13-15).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Unlikely Candidates

“My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (James 2:1 ESV).

Reading Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on James, one section stopped me in my tracks:

“[Jesus] saw the potential in the lives of sinners. In Simon, He saw a rock. In Matthew, the publican, He saw a faithful disciple who would one day write one of the four gospels. The disciples were amazed to see Jesus talking with the sinful woman at the well of Sychar, but Jesus saw in her an instrument for reaping a great harvest” (ch. 5).

I started wondering what He sees in some of the people we may tend to ignore or write off. That little boy who is so disruptive in Sunday school may one day be a pastor. That girl who doesn’t want to leave her mommy’s side may become a missionary in Africa. That young man who can’t seem to stay on the right side of the law may end up ministering to ex-cons.

Thinking about the people in my own church and denomination, there are a lot of people now in leadership positions who may once have been thought “irredeemable.” And if we’re being honest, all of us are unlikely candidates for belonging to the Body of Christ. We’re all sinners (not just in the past). We’re all broken and wounded by our own actions and the actions of others. Not one of us was saved because we’re such a great catch. God was never impressed by our credentials. But by grace He chose us and made us worthy and useful for His kingdom.

“God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world,” (news flash—that’s all of us!) “even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

We didn’t get here by our own abilities or ingenuity, and we can’t even guarantee we’ll be here another day. (How many of Israel’s kings fell because their pride got the best of them?) We are dependent on God for life, breath, strength, and the very ministry He has given each of us. “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Cor. 1:7). That reality should make us grateful and humble servants.

As I look back at my own life, I would never have planned the route that brought me to where I am today, and I’m sure many other people would say the same. I give thanks for all the twists and turns, hills and valleys, bumps and bruises that God has used to put me right here right now. And I trust He’ll do the same in the future to get me wherever He can best put me to use for His glory.

“For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 4:15).

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© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Image © Dawn Rutan. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Less Than

Lately God seems to be focusing my attention on the theme of humility. I wrote some about this back in November, but it has returned to center stage. Recently I read in Dennis Jernigan’s book Daily Devotions for Kingdom Seekers: “Humility keeps us supple and pliable in the hands of the Master Potter.” Not too long after that I started reading Andrew Murray’s book Humility. He wrote:

“Let him consider how all lack of love; all disregard for the needs, feelings, and weakness of others; all sharp and hasty judgments and words, so often excused under the plea of being outright and honest; all manifestations of temper, touchiness, and irritation; all feelings of bitterness and estrangement, have their root in nothing but pride, that only seeks itself.”

That really puts a point on things. Really thinking about the reasons behind our experiences of judgment, irritation, and frustration can reveal the painful truth of indwelling pride. We all tend to think our own time, work, abilities, and beliefs are more important or better than those of other people.

Murray goes on to say:

“…self has nothing good in it, except as an empty vessel which God must fill. Its claim to be or do anything may not for a moment be allowed. It is in this, above and before everything, in which the conformity to Jesus exists, the being and doing nothing of ourselves, that God may be all.”

We must be emptied of self in order to be filled with Christ.

“The root of all goodness and grace, of all faith and acceptable worship, is that we know we have nothing but what we receive, and bow in deepest humility to wait upon God for it.”

All good gifts that we have come from God. Why then do we boast (even if it is just inwardly) about what we have received (1 Cor. 4:7)?

“If humility is the root of the tree [as seen in Jesus], its nature must be seen in every branch, leaf, and fruit.”

We are to be abiding in Christ, and He embodied humility (Phil. 2:5-8), so we too should exemplify humility if we are being conformed to His image (Rom. 8:29).

“If we learn that to be nothing before God is the glory of the creature, we will welcome with our whole heart the discipline we may have in serving even those who annoy or irritate us... No place will be too low, no stooping too deep, and no service too miserable or lengthy, if we simply have the opportunity to share and experience the fellowship with Him who spoke, ‘I am among you as he that serves’ (Luke 22:27).”

Perhaps I’m the only one, but I know that pride is something that trips me up frequently. Yet humility doesn’t come from working harder to be humble. It comes only from focusing less on myself and more on my Savior. The more I seek Him and endeavor to obey what He calls me to do, the less I will be concerned about what anyone else may say or do or think about me.

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned” (Romans 12:3 ESV).

© 2018 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

Going Down

As often happens, several authors have spoken into my life on related subjects within the past few days. It started as I was reading The Fruitful Life, by Jerry Bridges, which talks about the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). He reminded me that the fruit is not something we can grow on our own, but requires God’s work in us, and as such we have to humbly submit to God’s will and God’s ways for this to happen. He writes:

“Humility in every area of life, in every relationship with other people, begins with a right concept of God as the One who is infinite and eternal in His majesty and holiness. We are to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, approaching every relationship and every circumstance in reference to him… When we are conscious of our (sinful) creature relationship to an infinitely majestic and holy God, we will not wish to selfishly compare ourselves with others. And to the extent that our awareness of our lowly place before God is an abiding one, we will avoid the temptations of pride and competition.”

Soon after that I read this article by John Piper in which he says:

“Another way of embracing [God’s sovereignty] is to see that it is taught in the Scriptures and to see some of its implications and to admit that this is in fact the truth that the Bible teaches, but to embrace it with a heart that’s not fully docile or teachable or submissive to the whole counsel of God in Scripture. In other words, a person may be riveted on the doctrine of sovereignty while either being neglectful of other important biblical teachings, or maybe even indifferent to those other teachings or resistant to them.”

A humble heart recognizes that God is sovereign and willingly submits to all that means for each of us. I confess that there are areas in my own life where my submission is reluctantly and grudgingly given. I see that God is sovereign over all His creation, but I don’t particularly like the way He arranges some things. So then today I was reading Battle Ready, by Steve Farrar. He writes:

“Lon [Solomon]’s definition: ‘Brokenness is the process by which God dislodges our self-life and teaches us to rely upon him alone in every facet of our lives. Brokenness is the process whereby God crushes all our self-dependence and, in its place, substitutes an utter dependence on God and God alone in every area of our lives… Through brokenness, God replaces our self-will with a surrender to the will and timing of God, tempering our human zeal with a deep waiting upon God.’… 

“God doesn’t meet our demands to explain Himself. God doesn’t submit Himself to our cross-examinations. He tells us that He is good and righteous, and then asks us to trust Him.”

Finally, this afternoon I visited a friend in a rehab center for physical therapy. He was quick to say, “God is able take care of this, but even if He doesn’t, He’s still God.”

When society (and sometimes even preachers) tell us, “You deserve health and wealth; you’re entitled to recognition and power; you are in control of your destiny;” God has something different to say. He tells us: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed… Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good” (1 Peter 4:12-13, 19 ESV, italics added). God in His sovereignty does not decree lives of comfort, power, and success for His children. Instead we should expect lives that continually reveal our weakness and inability so that He may be glorified as we humbly serve Him.

I was reminded of a line from the end of Hinds’ Feet on High Places:

“From the heights we leap and flow
To the valleys down below,
Sweetest urge and sweetest will,
To go lower, lower still.”

That has been the lesson for me this week, and probably for a long time to come—faithfulness to God is not found in striving for success, achievement, and recognition, but humility; not in entitlement, but service.

“He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. 

Selfish to Selfless

I have a bit of a fascination with reading biographies from World War II. I’ve read several in the past few years. Recently I read two that created a curious juxtaposition. The first was To End All Wars, by Ernest Gordon. He tells about his time in the concentration camp that built the bridge over the river Kwai. At first the prisoners were selfishly stealing from one another in their effort to survive, and religion was thought to be irrelevant. But over time they began to take care of one another, helping the sick and wounded, and there was a revival of faith in God.

The book I read right after that was Shantung Compound, by Langdon Gilkey. He was held in the Weihsien internment camp in China where many missionaries (including Eric Liddell), teachers, and other Westerners were held. Their living conditions were better than many other such places. Families had small rooms to themselves, while singles shared larger dorm rooms. They were allowed to keep personal belongings, and they set up committees responsible for various chores. At one point, there were 1400 residents, 200 of whom were Americans. The American Red Cross sent in 1500 large care packages. The majority of the Americans, including some Christians, felt that the packages should be divided among the American residents and not shared anyone else. They wanted 7.5 packages per person. Eventually the Japanese guards had to rule that each person in camp got one parcel and the remainder would be sent to other camps. Gilkey wrote:

“Certainly in camp everyone alike was involved in the problem; none was entirely righteous. ‘Good’ people and ‘bad’ people found it incredibly difficult, not to say impossible, to will the good; that is, to be objective in a situation of tension, and to be generous and fair to their neighbors. In all of us, moreover, some power within seemed to drive us to promote our own interests against those of our neighbors” (116).

Unlike Ernest Gordon’s experience, Gilkey witnessed no change of motivation or resurgence of faith. It’s ironic, but also convicting, that those who had a little bit to call their own were far more selfish than those who had absolutely nothing. It also makes me wonder whether we do more harm than good with some of our “Christian” outreach programs.

After the war, Gilkey spoke to various groups, including a women’s church group. He wrote later:

“We met in a mammoth suburban residence outside Chicago... As I spoke to these smiling and gracious ladies in the living room, out of the corner of my eye I could see two or three maids putting sandwiches, cookies, and towering chocolate cakes on the dining room table. I suppose I stressed the problems of hunger and the need for sharing even more than usual... When I had finished, the president... rose and addressed the following remarks to me.“‘I think our visitor, for all his good intentions, does not understand our point of view on these matters. You see, we don’t believe at all in the value of material things. It is the spiritual values of life that we feel are significant. We believe that what America has to offer the world is her spiritual superiority, not any advantage she may have in the realm of mere material goods... So we send moral and religious writings abroad, and do not approve of concentrating on the things that are not so important to the welfare of the soul’” (228).

As I look at the brokenness of our world today, I note several types of responses. There are those who are quick to recommend and enact social “cures”—relief funds and supplies for hurricane victims, better legislation and security to protect against mass shootings, new jobs for the unemployed, etc. There are others who are eager to provide spiritual support—prayer for victims, a listening ear, and an encouraging word. There are some who will seek to pursue both those avenues of help. And there are some who sit back and wonder what all the fuss is about. I think it is evident that the best efforts of good men will never outweigh the worst schemes of evil men so long as sin reigns in this world. But I think it’s also fairly evident that Christians should seek to do all that we can in serving others, though we often fall far short of that ideal. We will always have to fight against our own instincts for selfishness in how we use our time, money, and possessions, but by God’s grace we can love our neighbors with sincerity.

“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Neither is love content with barely working no evil to our neighbour. It continually incites us to do good: as we have time, and opportunity, to do good in every possible kind, and in every possible degree to all men” (John Wesley).

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Cor. 5:14-15 NIV).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

Called by God

Joseph told his brothers, “So it was not you who sent me here but God...” (Genesis 45:8 ESV). Mordecai told Esther, “Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

These few examples from Scripture point to a couple truths. Although some people, such as Jeremiah, receive a clear calling from God for a specific mission, most of us are called to follow God in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves. We tend to think of “calling” as a directive to pursue a career in ministry, but God is calling each of us to be ministers of His love and grace in whatever career we pursue.

For Joseph, Esther, Jeremiah, and many others in Scripture, the calling to do something spectacular was only fulfilled because they were faithfully seeking God in the normal course of life. Service to God was part of life, not a separate, unique vocation. God uses those who are faithful in the small things. We can’t expect to receive a divine word of commissioning if we aren’t committed to doing the tasks that are close at hand. And Scripture is pretty clear about the things we are to be doing day by day: loving others, making disciples, serving the church, worshiping together, praying for others, etc.

In addition, these people were called by God for an important purpose, but they did not fully understand that calling until troubled times hit. Joseph went through slavery and imprisonment before he had the opportunity to save his family and thereby ensure the future of Israel. Esther faced the potential decimation of the Jews before she really knew why she was in the palace. Jeremiah learned his calling up front, but he had the unpleasant job of calling Judah to repentance as captivity was coming. In the process he endured death threats and various other difficulties. God’s calling is not to a life of ease but to a life of purpose. And given the fallen nature of our world, fulfilling God’s purpose requires us to walk through suffering, not away from it. It is human nature to want to seek out comfort and pleasure, but that is not where God is doing most of His work. We seem to be easily deterred from obeying God’s calling whenever it is inconvenient, uncomfortable, or potentially dangerous to our lives, careers, or reputations.

Everybody likes the first half of Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” However, we can’t take that verse out of the context of the rest of the chapter, which talks about setting the mind on the things of the Spirit, putting to death the deeds of the body, suffering with Christ, enduring the corruption of the world, tribulation, distress, persecution, etc. Being called to the purpose of God takes place in the context of the challenges of life in a fallen world. It is through the suffering of this life that we are conformed to the image of Christ “in order that we may also be glorified with Him” (8:17).

We are all called to follow God, but that calling is going to look different for each of us because each life is unique. Whether spectacular or mundane, public or private, upper class or third world, may we be found faithful to Him day by day.

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan.

I Problems

Some time back I wrote about Job’s entitlement mentality. I’m reading through Job again and noticed particularly in chapter 31 how Job repeatedly says “If I have...” The first verse of chapter 32 says, “So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.” It appears that the last time Job really had his eyes on God in worship was in 1:21, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Beginning in chapter 3, his eyes are on himself, “After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.”

It’s amazing how easily we can stop focusing on God and starting focusing on ourselves. It doesn’t take Job-like suffering to do that. Such distraction can come from minor suffering, success, and even service. When we’re in pain, we tend to look at the reason for our pain. C.S. Lewis wrote:

“I once read the sentence ‘I lay awake all night with a toothache, thinking about the toothache and about lying awake.’ That’s true to life. Part of every misery is, so to speak, the misery’s shadow or reflection: the fact that you don’t merely suffer but have to keep on thinking about the fact that you suffer. I not only live each endless day in grief, but live each day thinking about living each day in grief.” (A Grief Observed).

And when things are going well and we’ve achieved some success, we are likely to get distracted by our pride. Comfort can quickly lead to apathy in the Christian life.

But even service can take our eyes off of God. We can get so busy doing good things, even church activities, that we lose sight of the purpose behind them. As Pastor Matt wrote in this week’s sermonrecap:

“Many so-called good works are poisoned when we allow the number two command [love people] to eclipse the number one command [love God]. The purpose of our good works is to glorify God. This completes the circuit, closes the loop, fulfills our function. We were created to glorify God, and this is why we do good works. Not to be seen or praised (Matthew 6:1-17), but so that God might be seen and praised.”

In church activities in particular we run into a conundrum: those who serve should be doing so without expectation of praise or recognition, and yet the Body needs to have an appreciation for all that goes on behind the scenes to make things happen. Service itself is a spiritual discipline, knowing that we are ultimately responsible to God for how we use the gifts He has given us. But I believe praise is also be a discipline we need to practice—we need to be praise God for how He has supplied the Body, and we need to express thanksgiving to people for the ways God has been able to work through their service.

Among his many greetings to individuals in his letters, Paul singles out three and says, “I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such men” (1 Corinthians 16:17-18). He didn’t stop with saying thanks, but he urged the church to take time to thank them as well.

Unfortunately, our lack of praise is another “I problem.” Some possible reasons for it include:

• We don’t know what is being done that is worthy of praise, perhaps due to inattentiveness.
• We don’t believe it is praiseworthy, perhaps due to jealousy, pride, or judgmental attitudes.
• We don’t care enough to take the time to say thanks.

If we look around us with our eyes focused on God, it shouldn’t be hard to see opportunities to thank others for their acts of service. But in case we don’t get around to it, God never forgets:

“For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for His name in serving the saints, as you still do.” –Hebrews 6:10