The Foundation of a Christian's Identity

People today are defined by their work, now more than anytime in recent history. In his article, "Workism is Making Americans Miserable", Derek Thompson discusses the preoccupation of Americans on work. He spends a sizeable section of his article discussing the role religion has had on this trend in our country.

“The decline of traditional faith in America has coincided with an explosion of new atheisms, some people worship beauty, some worship political identities, and others worship their children. But everyone worships something. And workism is among the most potent of the new religions competing for congregants,” Thompson asserts. And I think he’s right.

I was introduced to this article through a radio interview with the author on NPR’s On Point. During the discussion, Adam Grant, one of the other guests on the program, suggested that the idea of workism has its roots in Christianity, “dating back to Martin Luther and the Protestant ethic, where work was your
duty from God.” (The highlights for this program can be found in an article titled "You Might Love Your Job. But Does Your Job Love You Back?" on wbur’s website or On Point’s Facebook page.) This is the facet of the issue I would like to concentrate on in this piece.

It is fair to say that work ethic is an important part of the Christian identity. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” In fact, this mandate to work goes all the way back to the beginning of humanity. Genesis 2:15 says “The Lord took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Work was always a part of the plan, even before the fall.

Therefore, it’s obvious that work is a good thing. As Christians, our work ethic is a part of our spiritual testimony to the world. In first Corinthians 10:31, we are commanded to do everything, including work, to the glory of God. In Matthew 5:16 we are commanded to “…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (I understand that the works in this last verse is broader than just our jobs, but it is definitely inclusive of our means of income.)The manner and attitude in which we execute our daily responsibilities at work is an extremely important piece of our testimony.

However, nowhere does it say that our work should become our identity. There is a tendency in this day and age to define everyone we meet by what they do for a
living. This is an extension of, or a precursor to, the intersectionality movement we are experiencing today. This movement asserts that you can know everything we need to know about a person based solely in the social, racial, and economical categories in which an individual falls. (This is not Biblical. I will not be exploring intersectionality in this post except as it applies to our career identities.)

Perhaps the most important thing for a Christian to understand is that our identity is rooted in Christ, not our careers, economic status, or even our family. All of these are important parts of who we are, but should not be our driving identities. The fact of the matter is, career, economic status, and family are
fragile foundations for a structure as important as one's identity. One’s job can be taken away tomorrow. I’m a garbage man. That’s a fairly secure job. However, in a different world, my job might not even exist. If everyone recycled everything they could, reused everything that still had use, repaired instead of replaced, and composted food waste, there would be very little waste and therefore little need for someone to haul it away. The various depressions and recessions in our history have shown us just how fragile our economic status is. All it takes is for the stock market to crash or the housing bubble to burst and the vast majority of Americans can lose everything. Family is hopefully more secure, but nobody can know for certain what our future holds. Whether it’s a future full of familial love and fellowship or a tragedy that leaves you the sole survivor, nobody knows.

When we build our entire identity structure on something that can so easily be crumbled, we run the risk of collapsing completely when tragedy strikes. History is full of examples where individuals took their own lives because of job insecurity or dissatisfaction, economic hardship, or family loss. These situations are devastating in any case. However, when they are the foundation of a person’s identity, they can be deadly.

First John 3:1-2 states “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” John goes on in the first half of chapter three to make the contrast between those who practice righteousness and those who practice sin saying in verse ten “by this it is evident who are children of God and who are children of the devil…” So, through this passage, we see where our true identity lies, in God as his children, and in how we broadcast our identity through works of righteousness.

Horatio Spafford, a successful business man, lost everything in the great Chicago fire of 1871 not long after his son died. In 1873, he planned a vacation for him, his wife, and four daughters, but had to remain behind due to some unexpected developments in his business. He sent his family on vacation and promised to join them as soon as possible. On November 22, 1873, the ship his family took to Europe was struck by an English vessel called the Lochearn and sank in twelve minutes. Horatio’s wife telegraphed him from Wales, her message contained only two words. “Saved alone.”

Within a few short years, Horatio Spafford lost nearly everything. However, as tragic as these life events were, Spafford still penned the words to one of the great hymns of the faith, It Is Well With My Soul. “When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.” Such powerful words, penned at such a heart-wrenching time, are an incredible testament to where this man’s identity was rooted. His foundation was his faith. His rock was his God. So confident was he in the identity he had in Christ that, when sorrows like sea billows rolled, he was able to say “it is well with my soul.

Barabbas' Tale Part Two

Barabbas woke up and rolled from his mat. He looked out the window at the city below. After Barabbas had helped Joseph lay Jesus’ body to rest in the tomb, Joseph had taken him back to the inn for a bath and a shave. Barabbas, though still reeling from the circumstance of his release, felt like a new man. The two men had stayed in the inn for the Sabbath. They just couldn’t bring themselves to go about life as if nothing had changed. Jesus’ death had rocked their whole world, despite the little interaction either of them had had with the teacher.

Now, it was Sunday morning, the third day since Jesus had been crucified. Joseph was downstairs settling the bill. He was heading back to Arimathea today, so Barabbas would be on his own. Barabbas dressed and made his way downstairs. He expressed his thanks to Joseph and left the inn. He walked through the streets of Jerusalem in search of something, though he wasn’t sure what. He needed a job, or a mission, or anything to keep him out of prison. Joseph had told him about the disciples. Twelve men had traveled with Jesus and learned under his teaching for three years. What he would give for that kind of certainty. Now, they were in the same position he was. They too were men without purpose, disciples in search of a teacher.

Eleven, there were only eleven disciples left. Judas, the group treasurer, had betrayed the Christ for thirty pieces of silver. Overcome by guilt, he had hanged himself. Barabbas understood. He would have done the same thing, had he been given the opportunity. Except, he would have taken the money and ran, not thrown it back at the people it came from and hanged himself. That was the kind of Criminal Barabbas had been., relentless and selfish, only concerned with his own well being. Barabbas wondered what had become of the other eleven. Rumor around town was that they were holed up in some upper room. Apparently, that’s where they had spent their last meal with Jesus. Barabbas wanted to know where this was, so he asked around.

He thought, if he could find them, they could tell him more about their friend, Jesus. He wanted to know everything there was to know about the man who had taken his place on Golgotha. He didn’t know what he expected to happen. Surely, they wouldn’t be interested in teaching a crook like him. Still, he had hope. He had gotten some directions from people who didn’t recognize him. (That’s the problem with being a notorious ex-con. The people who recognized Barabbas didn’t want anything to do with him.) He was pretty sure he had found the house with the upper room in question. He stood on the road in front of the building as he tried to summon the courage to knock.

Just as he was about to approach the front door, two women came running up the street calling the names of Jesus’ disciples.

“Peter, John!!” they cried. “Come quick!”

Barabbas stepped back into the shadows and watched as two men came down from the upper room. The first man was a stranger to Barabbas. The second, he recognized as the contrite man he had met in the ally two days earlier.

“What is it, Mary?” John inquired. “What’s the matter?”

“We went to the tomb to dress Jesus’ body, because we didn’t have time on Friday to do it properly,” Mary explained. “The tomb was open, and Jesus’ body was gone. Two shining men told us…”

Peter and John didn’t wait to hear the end of the story. They took off as quickly as they could. Barabbas, not wanting to be left in the dark, followed them at a safe distance. John was the younger of the two, so he reached the tomb first. He was standing at the opening when Peter caught up. Barabbas watched under cover of the garden shrubbery as John stepped to the side, allowing Peter to enter the tomb. Peter was in the tomb for what seemed like forever. Finally, he reemerged and headed back to town with John.

Barabbas waited until they were gone before he approached the tomb. He knew the tomb well. He would never forget the time he spent with Joseph as they tenderly wrapped Jesus’ body in linen and spices and laid it on the stone slab against the inside wall. Barabbas saw the stone off to the side of the open doorway. Two Roman spears lay on the ground where the soldiers had left them. A splotch of red wax was on the exterior wall of the tomb, the final remnant of the high priest’s seal. Barabbas took a deep breath and stepped into the tomb.

The slab resting place was there, just as Barabbas remembered it. Everything else, was different. The linens lay unraveled on the slab and the face cloth was folded neatly at the head. If it hadn’t been for these remnants, Barabbas would not have believed that death had ever occupied this tomb. There was no smell, not even of the myrrh and spices with which they had dressed the body. They had used seventy-five pounds of spices. Surely, he would have been able to smell them. Barabbas thought he was going crazy. He had been in this very place the evening before last with the body of Jesus and now, there was no body to be found.

He turned from the slab and ran from the tomb. He had to catch Joseph before he left town. He started running through the garden and stopped. He saw a woman crying in the garden. He recognized her as one of the women who had helped wrap the body on Friday evening. Her name was Mary Magdalene. He thought about approaching her but decided against it. He turned away to leave but stopped when he heard Mary speak.

“They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have taken him,” she explained as she approached the doorway of the tomb. Barabbas could not see who she was talking to, but he thought he saw a light shining from inside the stone structure. Much to Barabbas’ surprise, a figure of a man appeared behind her. Mary turned and saw the man behind her.

“Why are you crying?” the man asked. “Who are you looking for?”

“Sir, what have you done with Jesus?” Mary asked. “If you have moved him, please tell where he is so that I may care for his body.”

She thinks he’s the gardener, Barabbas thought as he waited for the man’s reply.

“Mary,” the man said in a voice that dripped with love and compassion.

“Rabboni!” Mary exclaimed as Barabbas gasped.

The man in the garden was Jesus. Barabbas hardly recognized him from the state he was in Friday. His skin was fresh and clean. His cuts and bruises from the beatings he had endured were gone. The only evidence Barabbas could see of the trauma Jesus had endured were the nail holes in his hands. Otherwise, Barabbas would not have believed that he was looking at the same man. What was going on? He had watched the man as he was beaten and whipped to a bloody shadow of his former self. He had helped Joseph take his body down from his cross. He had carried the body from Golgotha to the tomb and helped lay it to rest. He knew all this to be true and yet, Jesus was standing before him, alive and well.

“Hello Barabbas.”

Barabbas stared. Jesus was standing literally in front of him. And addressing him by name.

“Rabboni,” Barabbas replied, echoing Mary’s greeting.

“You look well,” Jesus continued. “I’m glad to see you in a better state.”

“I share your sentiment, my Lord,” Barabbas replied. “You… you were dead. I saw you. I carried your body.”

“I know, Barabbas. Now I have risen. I had to die to pay the debt just as I had to rise again to conquer death,” Jesus explained.

“You paid my debt,” Barabbas clarified. “That beating, that cross, and those nails were meant for me. You took the punishment for my crimes. You died in my place.”

“I did, my son,” Jesus confirmed. “I died for you and I died for everyone who would believe. Now, go tell everyone you know what I have done for you.”

With that final statement, Jesus disappeared leaving Barabbas with not only his life, but his mission. Barabbas turned from the empty tomb and walked away from Jerusalem. He didn’t know where he would go, but he knew what he was going to do. He was going to tell everyone he met about the death, burial, and resurrection of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and about the promise of salvation through belief in God.

Barabbas' Tale Part One

A man sat in the floor of his cold damp cell. The stone walls were covered in tally marks and profanity and the packed dirt floor reeked of blood and urine. He could hear the cries and coughs of his fellow prisoners echoing through the corridors of the prison. Those sounds didn’t bother him. The water dripping into a puddle just on the other side of the heavy wooden cell door did bother him. It was relentless. Regardless of the day or the hour, that sound was his constant companion.

Prison was not for the faint of heart. If one wasn’t in peril because of the guards or the other prisoners, one was in peril on account of the rats. The man’s eyes wandered to the row of rat tails hanging from the mortar joints in his cell walls. He was not the faint of heart. He was a murderer, not just of rats, but of people. And he was a thief. He was just biding his time in prison until execution day, or days rather. No one ever seemed to die in just one day.

He might not have long to wait. Rumor on the block was that they were organizing an execution party right now and there were three slots available. One for each of the two thieves down the hall and the other most likely for him. He deserved it and he knew it.

“It’s about time,” he grumbled through fear and disdain. “Better to die then to rot away in this hole.”

“Barabbas,” the guard interrupted his train of thought. “You’ve been summoned.”

Barabbas, for that was the prisoner’s name, groaned as he pushed himself to his feet. He breathed sharply through clenched teeth as he slowly made his way to the entrance of the cell. He turned his back away from the door and placed his hands behind his back. His eyes scanned the room as he heard the metallic scraping of the heavy latch disengaging. He waited to feel the cold steel of the wrought iron shackles against his skin. Instead, he felt the warmth of the Roman guard’s hand on his bare shoulder.

“This way, Barabbas,” he instructed.

Confused, Barabbas turned and followed the guard. He expected to turn right out of the cell because that was the way of the condemned prisoner. Instead, he turned left. The guard led him down the corridor, up a flight of dirty stone steps, and through a doorway into the blinding light of the sunrise.

Barabbas looked across the courtyard at a group of soldiers. In the center of the group was a man, stripped to his loincloth, and covered in blood. Barabbas stopped in his tracks and stared. He didn’t recognize the man. In addition to the loincloth, he wore a wreath of desert thorns just above his ears. The brambles of the makeshift crown dug deep into his head. One soldier struck him from behind with a staff. He cried out in pain and fell to his hands and knees. He looked up and locked eyes with Barabbas. Time seemed to freeze. Blood and dirt matted in his eyebrows and bruises were starting to show on his face. His left eye was almost swollen shut. Barabbas had never seen this man before, but the man acted as though he had known Barabbas his whole life. Barabbas felt pity for the man, and this surprised him because he had not felt pity in years. Still, the compassion Barabbas saw in the other man’s eyes eclipsed the compassion he had seen in the eyes of his own mother.  Barabbas continued to stare into the eyes of the stranger until he saw something more than compassion. He saw love.

“Hey, Barabbas,” the guard interjected. “Better stop staring or they’ll think you want to join in.”

“Who is that man?” Barabbas questioned his guide.

“Jesus, I think,” the guard replied. “Claims to be the king of the Jews.”

“Is that why he’s being beaten and scourged like that?” Barabbas pressed.

“I’m not really sure,” the guard shrugged. “The Jewish religious leaders want him crucified, so Pilate’s giving them what they want.” The guard opened the courtyard gate and stood to the side. He handed Barabbas a piece of paper and continued. “You’re free to go. Here are your release papers. If I were you, I’d keep a low profile for a while. I still can’t believe they chose you.”

Before Barabbas had a chance to ask for clarification, he found himself on the other side of the iron gate watching the guard walk away. He stroked his raggedy beard, ran his finger through his flea infested hair, and turned away from the prison. He walked down a dusty ally, confused about what had just happened. Release papers? He should be executed. They chose him? Who did? Why? Who was Jesus and why was he being beaten?

He rounded the corner and tripped over a foot. He turned to apologize and found a man sitting on the ground with his arms wrapped around his knees. The man, who hadn’t even noticed Barabbas, was sobbing into his robe.

“He said I would deny him three times before the rooster crowed,” he cried as he tried to catch his breath. “I swore I would die with him, but he was right. The rooster crowed. I failed him, my friend and my savior.”

“Who said?” Barabbas pressed.

The man caught his breath and looked up at Barabbas. He struggled to his feet and turned down the ally.

“Who said?!” Barabbas called after him. “Who did you deny?”

Barabbas got no answer. The man ran away leaving a trail of dust.

Barabbas stood for a moment as he tried to get his bearings. He thought that in a city this old, things would never change, but he’d experienced the darkness of incarceration so long, the whole world looked different. He turned in a circle, looking for something familiar. Finally, he just picked a direction and went with it. The narrow street was on a moderate incline. Having never been one to choose the easy path, he walked uphill. He rounded the corner of the Roman barracks and stopped dead in his tracks. The square before him was packed with people. Some of them tried to give the appearance of indifference as they milled about around the edge of the mob. The rest of the crowd had been worked up into a frenzy.

Someone nearby cried out “Crucify Him!” Barabbas turned to run, thinking the call was for him. The crowd echoed the call of the instigator as the temple Pharisees stood to the side and nodded their approval. Barabbas stopped as soon as he realized that no one was chasing him. The call for death was apparently not for him. He turned back to the crowd to watch. Soon, the sea of people parted as if Moses himself were there. A clear path opened up between Barabbas the killer and the man he would come to recognize as Jesus the condemned King.

Jesus was covered in sweat and blood as he struggled under the weight of the cross he bore. He fought to put one foot in front of the other as the soldiers goaded him and the crowd spat on him as he passed by. The humiliation was palpable and weighed heavy on the heart of Barabbas. Barabbas didn’t understand why this man’s plight resonated so intensely with him. He didn’t know the man, but their fates seemed somehow intertwined. Barabbas knew that cross was his to bear. Instead, Jesus carried it for him, and the brutal death that came with it.

“Hey,” a bystander addressed the freed criminal. “You’re Barabbas, aren’t you?” Barabbas nodded with some hesitation. “Lucky break for you, huh?” the man continued. “Who would have though that the people would find someone they hated more than you?”

“What do you mean?” Barabbas questioned.

“They didn’t tell you?” the man replied. “The crowd decided to have you released instead of that teacher. They were given the choice between you and Jesus. They wanted him dead so badly, they begged for your freedom. That cross he’s carrying was meant for you.”

With that final statement, the stranger turned away and followed the mob through the streets of the city, leaving Barabbas to bare the full weight of his circumstances on his own. Barabbas dropped to the ground and sobbed. This man, who had already been so badly beaten, would die a horrific death, literally on the cross meant for Barabbas. Barabbas had heard stories about this Jesus. His work had reached even the closed hearts and minds of Roman guards who staffed the prison. Everyone knew about the sick he had healed, the hungry he had fed, and the dead he had raised. Jesus was the last person who should die on a cross and he was there in place of a killer and a thief, a lowlife worthy of death.

Barabbas didn’t move from that spot all day. He didn’t need to go to the Place of the Skull. He knew the horrors Jesus would suffer. He was barely phased when the sun went dark. He knew at that moment that Jesus had died. A temple messenger had darted past him in the dark and returned sometime later with the Pharisees. He heard them mumbling and worrying about the veil in the temple. He didn’t understand why that was so important. He didn’t move from his place on the ground until a man named Joseph approached him.

“Excuse me,” he greeted Barabbas. “Were you not part of the crowd that witnessed the death of Jesus of Nazareth?”

“No,” Barabbas sighed. “I was the man who should have died on his cross.”

“I see,” Joseph replied. “Perhaps you would be willing to help me.  You see, Jesus is dead. I have gotten permission from Pilate to take him down from his cross and lay him to rest in my tomb. It must be done today because tomorrow is the Sabbath. Would you please help me with his body?”

Barabbas nodded and stood up. He followed Joseph up the hill to the crest of Golgotha. Tears streamed down his face as he stared at the naked body of his savior. The coppery smell of blood and the sour scent of vinegar were thick in the air. The sight of Jesus’ lifeless body was almost more than the ex-con could bear. Blood and water still dripped from a gaping wound in his side, but his legs lacked the telltale trauma found in the legs of the thieves on either side. This man had died without the aid of the leg breakers.

Joseph pulled a long length of linen from his satchel. He climbed up a ladder and draped the linen across the torso of the dead man, under his arms, and over the horizontal member of the cross. The two ends of the linen hit the ground on either side of the bloody post. Barabbas knew what to do. He grabbed one end in each hand and pulled the linen tight. Joseph, having already removed the nail from Jesus feet, placed a spike through the nail hole from the back side of the cross and pounded. Three, four, five strikes and Jesus’ left arm fell free. Barabbas pulled the linen tight as he felt the weight of the body. Joseph repeated the process with the right hand. Barabbas, bearing the body of his savior, began to cry.

Joseph climbed down the ladder with tears in his own eyes. He nodded to Barabbas who lowered the body into Joseph’s arms. Barabbas helped Joseph lay Jesus’ body onto a stretcher. He turned to look at the cross. The wood of the death structure was stained red from the blood of its charge. The nails lay on the ground at the foot of the cross. Barabbas, knowing the nails would be reused for some common criminal, picked them up and held them in his hands. They were sticky with blood. He pulled his arm back and threw the nails as far away as he could. He turned back to Joseph and nodded. They picked up the stretcher and carried the body of Jesus Christ down the hill.

Church Wellfare

There is a long tradition amongst Christians to give of their incomes to the church. This is biblicallymandated by God in the Old Testament as a way of providing for the Levites. The Levites were the tribe of Israel that was in charge of the temple of God and did not own property as the other eleven tribes
did. One might be tempted to think that tithing is no longer necessary as we no longer live under old testament law. However, Jesus specifically said in Mathew 5:17 that he did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. For this reason, we still bring our tithes (ten percent of our income) to the church.
However, the Bible talks not only of tithes, but of offerings. Offerings are monetary gifts given to God through various means that go above and beyond ten percent of one’s income. It is often through tithes
that Christians take care of the costs of keeping a church open. It is through offerings that they reach out to those in need in their communities and in their lives.

Offerings can be given directly to the church and distributed through a church’s benevolence funds. This is a perfectly acceptable way to offer of one’s resources to the Lord. However, there are many people in the world who are in need of help but may never darken the doors of a church. That is where believers have the opportunity and responsibility to give of their resources on their own.

There are many good reasons for a believer to give above and beyond his required ten percent. Caring for those who can’t adequately care for themselves is something that has always been important to God. Deuteronomy 15:11 says “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore, I command you
to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy.” God acknowledges the poor in the land and explains his system to care for them. Ephesians 4:28 says “Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have
something to share with those in need.” We are encouraged to work with our hands so that we have the resources to care for those in need. In Galatians 6:2 we are commanded to “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” It’s not just a suggestion that we carry each other’s burdens. It’s the law. Hebrews 13:16 admonishes us “Do not forget to do good and share with
others, for with such sacrifices, God is pleased.” It pleases God when his children care for each other.

However, we’re not just told to care for the poor and needy just because it’s important to God, although
this would be reason enough. Hebrews 6:10 tells us that “God is not unjust, he will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.” Showing kindness to others is a tangible way of serving God. He draws a direct parallel between our service to
Him and our service to others. Matthew 5:16 says “In the same way, let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” This verse tells us that the people we serve will draw this same parallel. They will look at our good deeds and glorify God as a direct result. Matthew 25:35-40 really brings this home. “’For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the
righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes an clothe you? when did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The king will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” In the following five verses, we see the other side of this equation for those who did not help with verses 44 and 45 saying “they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for me.’”

There is a third aspect of giving which Randy Alcorn explains quite effectively in his book "The Treasure Principle." Luke 12:33-34 tells us to “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail. Where no thief comes near and no moth destroys for where your treasure is there your heart will be also.” You can’t take your treasure with you, but you can send it on ahead. Luke 6:38 says “Give and it will be given unto you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” We are to give generously of what we have been
given and God will reward our faith. Proverbs 19:17 corroborates this point by saying “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward them for what they have done.” Proverbs 22:9
continues this point with “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.”

However, in Philippians 2:3-4 we are warned “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests, but each of you to the interests of others.” Our motivation matters. If we are giving out of a desire to be rewarded, our
motivation is wrong. James 1:17 reminds us that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows.” Nothing that we have belongs to us. It is only in our possession thanks to the generous nature of God. It is important for us to remember that we are but stewards of God’s resources. Give credit where credit is due. James 2:14-17 really ties all this together well. “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone
claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed.’ But does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Our giving is a direct indication of our faith. We only hold tightly to what we have if we don’t trust God to give us what we need. We have the massive blessing of being the executers of God’s estate. We get to be the channels through which God blesses those around us. We
get to give freely from God’s storehouse and watch Him change lives.

So, the natural response to such a realization is to consider how the present-day church is doing in regards to the poor and needy. How are we caring for the widows and orphans? I am sure that there are many churches that are working very hard in this area. A 2017 article on Christianitytoday.com titled
"How Many Churches Does America Have? More Than Expected" cited a 2012 National Congregations study that stated that the U.S. had 384,000 congregations. I doubt very much that all of these churches are taking the Poor and Needy mandate seriously. My primary evidence for this statement is the United
States Welfare System. I firmly believe that the safety net system we have in our country would be completely irrelevant and altogether unnecessary if the Christian church in America was taking care of the poor and needy, the widows and orphans, in their respective communities. God’s plan was for the church to be the community safety net for those who lack the resources to provide for themselves. What better way to live our faith than that? People can’t argue with the love of God when we’re serving them in their time of need.

So, “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:4) “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.” (Proverbs 3:27) “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” (Romans 12:13). And “…Anyone who has two shirts should share with one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” (Luke 3:11)

One final thought, often we wonder how much of our resources we should give to those in need. C.S.
Lewis addresses this point in his book "Mere Christianity" and I don’t think I can express it any better than
he. “I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditures on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper
us, I should say they are far too small."

The Folly of Discontentment

Discontentment first masquerades as aspiration. You will ask yourself, “Isn’t it a good thing to think about and plan for my future?” You will spend hours imagining the life you want and comparing that against the life that you have. You will come to resent the people around you who have the life you think you deserve. The more time you spend building your imaginary kingdom, the more your sufficient cottage will feel like squalor. You will live out your life as a bitter person who is neither content with what you have, nor able to achieve what you imagined.

Discontentment first masquerades as aspiration. This is the case with many sins. At first, it seems like a good thing. The problem with aspiration is that it takes place on two separate planes. There’s the physical plane and the spiritual plane. Anytime we concentrate on the world we loose sight of our position in God’s kingdom. Proverbs 10:28 says “The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectations of the wicked will perish.”  When we aspire to the role God has for us in His kingdom, we will find true contentment. It is when we aspire to a place in the world that we get into trouble.

You will ask yourself, “Isn’t it a good thing to think about and plan for my future?” Yes, it is. This is why we go to work every day, pay the electric bill, pay the car insurance, pay the mortgage and so on and so forth. We have a long list of responsibilities that exist for the sole purpose of ensuring our well-being beyond this moment.  However, when you try to find verses about planning for the future, you come across verses like Jeremiah 29:11-“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” And verses like Philippians 1:6- “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Or Proverbs 19:20-21- “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Many are the plans in the mind of man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” The common thread that is weaved through scripture on the future is that God is the one with a plan. Worry about today’s responsibilities and learn to be submissive to God’s plan.

You will spend hours imagining the life you want and comparing that against the life that you have. This drives home the idea of concentrating on the world instead of the Kingdom of God. Colossians 3:2 instructs us to “set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth.” Learn to be grateful for the life you have as you look forward to your eternity with God. Our time here on earth is just a tiny fraction of our existence.

You will come to resent the people around you who have the life you think you deserve. There are two issues with this mindset. First, you resent the people who are doing well. The Bible clearly states that coveting your neighbor’s things is wrong. It’s one of the ten commandments. Resenting someone because of his success is just another level of coveting. The second issue is that you think you deserve what someone else has. What we deserve in this life is irrelevant, especially when compared against what we deserve in the next. Romans 6:23 tells us that “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We deserve eternal death. Try to remember that when you’re thinking about what you think you deserve in this world.

The more time you spend building your imaginary kingdom, the more your sufficient cottage will feel like squalor. The thing about our imagination is that it is a powerful thing. Studies have shown that there is little difference in our minds between experiencing something and imagining that same thing. We can get all the same mental rewards from imagining an experience that we get from the experience itself. Imagining the life you want is like going on a vacation and then having to come home to reality every day. This mental roller coaster is a great way to hardwire discontentment and disappointment into your mind. Setting up a constant comparison between what you want and what you have is folly. Instead, concentrate on the intangibles that you can truly call your own. Concentrate on the love you have for your friends and family as you reflect the love God has for you. Live in the joy of your salvation as you seek to share that joy with others. Reflect on the grace of God as you learn to extend that same grace to your children. These intangibles exist regardless of your earthly environment because they are rooted in Heaven.

You will live out your life as a bitter person who is neither content with what you have, nor able to achieve what you imagined. This is the bottom line with discontentment. It seeps into your pores and stains your entire person. Hebrews 13:5 says “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Understand that God is far more concerned with your position in His kingdom than your position in the world. First Timothy 6:6-7 says “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into this world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.”