Have You Been Spiritually Knocked Down a Notch?

Have you ever sat by the bedside of a very sick person? I mean very sick. So sick you're not even sure they know you are there. I think there are few other experiences that can make you feel as helpless and inadequate. Imagine, walking into a hospital room, to do your good deed, your pastoral duty, intent on providing inspiration and encouragement, because, after all, it is what you have been trained to do. You know what to say and what not to say. You've learned about where to stand and sit and the right posture to have. However, upon entering the room you are made immediately aware of the fact that, contrary to your inflated view of yourself, there is very little for you to offer. You realize that your words fail you and that your human skills are not enough.

It was a wake up call for me. A reminder to always be humble. A reminder that I have no real power or skill on my own. If I want to offer someone any real encouragement, especially someone who is very sick, I should always defer to someone else. Sometimes it is easy for me to forget this. I'll sometimes rest a little too much in the knowledge and skills I think I have and get a little complacent. It's hard sometimes not to rely too much on myself.

It's painful, but sometimes I really do need to be spiritually knocked down a notch.

And here is something amazing. Jesus chose to be knocked down a notch. Jesus had unimaginable glory with God from eternity past.  Jesus had power as well, because John tells us in his gospel that nothing was created without Jesus. And yet he chose to give it all up. Paul said in the often quoted Philippians 2 passage that Jesus "emptied himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men." (Philippians 2:7 NASB)

If I am to truly serve someone else, and if I am to truly model my life after Jesus, then the proper action for me to take is to empty myself of me. This may seem counter-productive to a Western/American way of thinking. We want to strong, self-made, self-sufficient, and to be the hero. But, in order to offer someone the very best of what I can give I need to teach myself that I am not the hero. Jesus is the hero. I am just a channel through which he comes.

There is actually a lot of freedom in this. Jesus, in all his power and glory, comes to hurting people through me. There is comfort in this, for the person we try to help, and for us as well. To sit in a chair, praying quietly next to someone isn't a defeat. It is being a channel through which victory comes. Victory in the name of Jesus Christ.

A Theology of Scarcity?

I recently listened to an interesting article on NPR (I'll pause, and give you time to chuckle at that. I don't mind.). Two researchers looked at the idea of how scarcity can affect our thinking and decision making. Here's a link to the article: "How Scarcity Trap Affects Our Thinking, Behavior"

Basically, they looked at two kinds of scarcity: financial scarcity and time scarcity. The researchers contend that those suffering from the latter have a similar line of thinking and make similar decisions as those of the former. Business professionals operating under a constant time crunch, under a constant feeling of never having enough time, often make decisions that lead to them having even less time, much in the same way people who are in debt make poor financial decisions that lead to still more debt.

I found this fascinating because I think this could influence how I might serve people as a pastor in Southwest Virginia and South East West Virginia. I see this area as being more diverse than what some people may think. You can drive through a seemingly upper middle class neighborhood and without realizing it transition into what looks like a forgotten ghost town, except that for so many it's not "forgotten" but "home." And yet, although there seems to be such a difference, such a gap between the have's and have not's, maybe there are more similarities than we think.

What if that feeling of not having enough is a major factor in the lives of both groups? What does that say for how we approach them with the gospel? What if a major factor in the lives of many people around here, whether they are short on cash or time, is the same factor: I need more.

More. Professionals, who may be in a better spot financially, may still be racked by a sense of always lacking. Lacking the time they believe they desperately need. And someone living in an impoverished state may actually share many of the same feelings, just with a different object as the felt need.

I think this can aid those who wish to share the gospel. Remember that everyone around you may be suffering from scarcity of some form or another. And, scarcity may be influencing them to make some poor decisions that may trap them in a vicious cycle. Jesus says, "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden [or how about "all you who are suffering from scarcity"?], and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

The gospel is for rich and poor alike. I miss the mark if I think one group needs it more than another. All people need Jesus. The good news is he is more than enough. Our message is that faith in Jesus can pull you out of the belief that you'll never have enough. I believe that Jesus can make the feeling of scarcity a distant memory.

Do you see this feeling of scarcity (financial or that of time) in people around you? Do you think the idea of scarcity could create connection point between too seemingly different groups (those in poverty/debt and those who feel trapped by a lack of time)?