People: The Vision
As we read earlier, Dallas Willard writes that personal change or growth takes place in three steps summarized by the letters V, I, M. First, we have to embrace a Vision of the kind of change we want to see happening in our life. Then, we make an Intentional decision that we’re going to pursue that vision. Finally, we determine the Means for living out that vision. All three steps are critical. But it all begins with Vision.
In his Sermon on the Mount Jesus shares his vision for three areas of life:
- Piety – our relationship with God and its internal and external expressions.
- People – our relationship to other people.
- Possessions – our use of and attitude towards money and stuff in life.
Growth and change in any of the three areas begins by firmly fixing Jesus’ vision in our minds and hearts. Here’s my summary of Jesus’ vision for the people-area of our life:
- Show favor to the poor in spirit who have no one but God in their corner, the mournful so weary of the wrong in the world, the meek and the missing out, and those who are hungering and thirsting for the world to be made right. (Matt. 5:2-6)
- Show mercy. (Matt. 5:7)
- Pursue God’s peace for all people. (Matt. 5:9)
- Do not harbor anger but seek reconciliation. (Matt. 5:21-26)
- Pay any price to think and act without lust. (Matt. 5:27-30)
- Do not divorce but be faithful. (Matt. 5:31-32)
- Do not deceive but let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes.’ (Matt. 5:33-37)
- Do not respond to evil with violence but with love. (Matt. 5:38-48)
- Pursue the strengthening of your own weaknesses rather than pointing out the weaknesses of others. (Matt. 7:1-6)
- Do to others what you would have them do to you. (Matt. 7:12)
- Do not listen to others because of the fruit on their resumes but because of the fruit in their character. (Matt. 7:15-20)
People: The Means of Service
There are many facets to the qualities of relationships Jesus calls us to pursue. One facet involves our relationships with people who may be in need. For example, Jesus envisions a kingdom in which the marginal and forgotten are blessed: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, and those hungry and thirst for righteousness (Matt. 5:2-6). He calls his followers to be characterized by mercy—a steadfast love for others, especially those in need (Matt. 5:3). Jesus teaches us to pray for God to give daily bread to all who live on the earth—not just for ourselves (Matt. 6:11). And he urges us to be involved in simple and secret giving to the poor (Matt. 6:2-4).
Thus one of Jesus’ central concerns is that we would form relationships with people in which we are oriented toward meeting their needs. Relationships in which we care deeply for and provide generously for others. That’s the vision. But how do we step into that vision?
Service is one habit or discipline that can help us experience this vision in our lives.
Service as a spiritual practice or spiritual discipline is different from service in general. Dallas Willard writes, “I will often be able to serve another simply as an act of love and righteousness…But I may also serve another to train myself away from arrogance, possessiveness, envy, resentment, or covetousness. In that case, my service is undertaken as a discipline for the spiritual life.”[i] Thus, while you will want to continue to take advantage of opportunities to serve throughout the day, in this discipline we are focuses primarily on planned and intentional acts of service designed to partner with the Spirit’s transformation of the way we treat others.
When some consider spiritual disciplines, as we have in this series, there is often an initial temptation to believe that spiritual disciplines are inward focused while something like service is outward focused. Yet Tony Jones writes, “for centuries, the Christians who were known for their service to the world were also those Christians who took their spiritual development seriously. When we take time and make space for God to move in our lives, we then have the resources necessary for true servanthood.”[ii] The inward work of spiritual formation is ultimately intended to result in outward work of service and compassion. This is why, in this series, we began with growing in piety. We want to focus first on our walk with God and some of the more inward focused disciplines. These, however, are meant to them turn us outward toward others. Service is our first step in this outward direction.
One of the keys of utilizing service as a transformative practice is to engage is what is known as “secret service.” Mark Buchanan writes about the importance of secrecy in our acts of service: “We want to be either heroes or martyrs. Our acts of service tend to rise from the yearning to be one or the other. We want to be either carried on the crowd’s shoulders or trampled beneath the mob’s feet…emblazon my name on the marquee or set me ablaze at the stake…Make me a hero or make me a martyr…[But] God invites us, Christlike, to become servants. That means we’ll do many of our acts of service in secret. We’ll do them regardless of whether we’re thanked or applauded. We’ll do them not seeking persecution, but not avoiding it either.”[iii]
Thus, today, take ten minutes to do an act of service for someone—but do it secretly. Do it anonymously. Do it in a way that draws no attention to yourself.
[i] Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (HarperSanFrancisco, 1988), 182.
[ii] Tony Jones, The Sacred Way (Zondervan, 2005), 193.
[iii] Mark Buchanan, Your God is Too Safe (Multnomah, 2001), 211-212.
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