Freedom and Responsibility

I recently did a quick read-through of the "Barefoot Church Primer". Granted the book is not meant to be consumed in this way, and yet it is still having a marked impact on my mind, on the way to impacting my heart.

I appreciate the rhythm of the book, allowing a time of rest each week, to remember what it is that drives us to seek mercy and justice (restoration) in this world. It reminds me of the internal tension I often deal with between freedom and responsibility.

These two realities exist in my life. I am free and belong to no man (power, influence, expectation). I am a slave to everyone, living not for my own needs, but for the needs of others.

The interesting thing is that if I fully embrace my freedom (where it comes from, what it truly means for me), then I gladly walk into my responsibility to serve the world.

If, however I begin with my responsibility, attempting to see and meet all of the needs around me; I do not always end up experiencing freedom. Instead I find myself in a place full of guilt, apathy, bitterness, or cynicism.

In John 13 we read these words about Christ, "Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up..." and served, and died. See the progression. It begins in freedom; in resting in the truth of who he was, who it was that held him, and where he truly belonged... in that place he then got up and served those closest to him and then died for us all.

Paul echos this thought in 1 Corinthians 9 when he tells that community of believers that the freedom he finds in Christ creates in him a desire to follow the example of Christ, and serve all men.

What do you think it would do for your heart towards others if you truly understood just how free you are?

Free from worry over how others receive you.

Free from expectation over how effective and efficient your acts of service are.

Free from responsibility to figure out the how, either in the short term or the long term.

Free from the financial burden of meeting physical needs.

Free from the need to be perfect in discerning emotional needs.

What if you serve a God who is truly able to meet all of those needs and the thousands that you cannot even imagine today? What if, because you belong to Him, He is longing to actively work in and through you to meet physical, emotional, and spiritual needs in your community?

What about you... do you want to join Him? As you rest in the grace He has lavished upon you, is there a stirring in your heart to join Him in that work for others?

The important distinction between Who and How

When dealing with God I often find myself consumed with the How. How is He going to provide? How will he come through? How will He change that heart, open that door, or reveal those resources?

There have been times that God has walked me through the How of His work. Though I enjoy that journey, I also see a danger in it. I can easily become confident in the How, and forget about the Who. Even though I know that people change, I often expect God to respond exactly the same way in every situation. Then, once I have figured out "how He works", I can use Him much like any other machine and plug Him in at the right time, in the right way, to get the expected result. And, if that result does not happen... I have someone else to blame, because I did it "right".

The danger in the How is that it quickly moves me from a dependence upon God to a dependence upon my own understanding. This goes directly against His words in Proverbs 3, where He tells me not to lean on my own understanding, but upon Him instead.

I am much better off spending my time trying to better understand the Who, the source of all things, rather than the How. For, in my darkest hours it is the How that deserts me. No matter how hard I look or pray, I never see any way out. My mind is at a loss to even conceive a solution.

In those hours I am left with the Who. The person of God and what I know of His character is all that remains. And so, I still enjoy the occasional pursuit of the How (let's face it, God does things in some extremely creative and interesting ways). But, even more then the How, I dedicate myself to a pursuit of Who. If I only have a certain amount of time and energy, I will give the lion's share to better understanding God's character.

How about you... do you find yourself more concerned with the How of God's work, or the God Who works on your behalf?

[To the grammar-lovers a different question... should I have used Whom instead of Who?]