“When
you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is
doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what
is done in secret, will reward you.”
—
Matthew 6:3-4 (NRSV)
LESS you know about the impact of the good
you do, the better.
Sometimes the blessed of all ministries are
those only God knows exists.
How would it be, then, if God were to
sponsor an effort where there was no outward success other than some occasionally
very special feedback?
Perhaps we are most Christian when we
genuinely do good deeds in secret, behave ‘Christian’ when nobody is looking,
and when we are laying down our lives for a total stranger.
Works in Honour of the Worthiness of Christ
It’s a depth that cannot be plumbed: the consummate
worthiness of Christ.
How are we to comprehend the magnitude of
the grace that has freed us of the eternal bonds of our sin? What we cannot
grasp in its entirety is nevertheless true; salvation has come, and at no small
cost. It cost God.
Mindfulness is an ally to this extent: when
it remains in the forefront of our thinking we are less likely to ‘use’ Christ
by cheapening grace.
We have the method of repentance, sure, as
a way of reconciling our crude and wasteful deeds, but repentance was always
designed as a platform for transformation – given that most transformations
happen slowly over the years.
Waking Up To Christ’s Reality In the Holy Spirit
Western Christians are vastly disadvantaged
to live in cultures and civilisations so graphically different to that of the
ancient world. Our first world problems are central to our hypocrisy. Our
comfort zones that bear a weight of retention over us are our ruination in a
world that looks our way: “can he/she really live as a Christian (i.e.
honouring God)?” We end up disappointing people. It’s inevitable. The least we
should do is be honest. We are sinners.
The Holy Spirit lives in us or he is suppressed. Grieved at us taking credit
for the deeds done supposedly in Jesus’ name, the Holy Spirit is somewhat
estranged, though only half a step off the pace.
There is another paradox we must get our
heads around. There’s only glory to God when we try very hard to ensure there’s
no glory at all. This is a knife-edge reality: we cannot be brash in the flesh
and then claim to be Spirit-filled. It doesn’t work that way.
There is more glory for God in the
resplendence of our humble characters that shun the limelight, because the
irony stands: walking away from the egotistical overture is how we are to be
that city on a hill, lights shining for miles.
***
Imagine the credibility us Christians would
have if we only obeyed our Lord Jesus more. Doing good deeds in secret,
behaving ‘Christian’ when nobody is looking, and laying down our lives for
others: these are worthy of Christ.
There’s only glory to God
when we desire no glory at all.
© 2014 S. J. Wickham.
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