JRMITCH85 Decisions

Wake Up Church: It’s Time To Get To Work

God has bestowed upon each of us unique talents and gifts, and in response to His divine calling, we are urged to employ these blessings for the betterment of our community and to spread the gospel’s teachings. It is a universal truth that every church, irrespective of its size or available resources, possesses the potential to accomplish remarkable deeds in the service of God through acts of generosity and unwavering faithfulness. This is a testament to the profound idea that every individual, regardless of their circumstances, can achieve extraordinary feats with the gifts entrusted to them.

It is crucial to understand that the magnitude of a church, be it large or small, and the extent of its resources do not dictate its capability to contribute significantly to God’s work. Rather, what holds importance is the genuine spirit of generosity and faithfulness that permeates the congregation. These qualities serve as the bedrock upon which mighty accomplishments for the glory of God can be built.

The principle extends beyond the confines of the church walls and applies to every believer. Each person, armed with the unique set of talents and gifts granted by God, has the potential to perform marvelous deeds. The emphasis lies not in the abundance of resources but in the willingness to utilize what one has been given for the greater good. Generosity and faithfulness become the catalysts that propel individuals and communities to undertake impactful endeavors in the name of God.

In essence, God calls upon His people to harness the power of their endowed talents and gifts to accomplish extraordinary feats. The size of a church or the extent of its resources may vary, but the impact it can make is boundless when fueled by the transformative forces of generosity and faithfulness. Together, as a collective body of believers, we can unleash a mighty force for good, bringing about positive change and spreading the light of the gospel to all corners of the world.

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 25:14–30.

Investing in the gifts and talents bestowed upon us by God is not merely a suggestion but a divine directive that calls for action. It implores us not to bury these precious endowments out of the shadows of fear or doubt but to bravely bring them into the light, allowing them to flourish and bear fruit. The divine design behind our unique abilities is purposeful, and by utilizing them, we align ourselves with the greater calling to serve our community and propagate the gospel.

Even in the context of a small church, the emphasis remains steadfast – we have been given what we have for a reason. The size of our congregation does not diminish the significance of each member’s gifts and callings. It is a reminder that every individual within the church has a role to play, and we are tasked with fulfilling that role with diligence and purpose.

The key lies in active engagement and a focus on growth. Rather than succumbing to the trap of comparison with others, we are urged to actively work towards expanding God’s kingdom and sharing His Gospel. This involves a conscious effort to concentrate on our unique contributions, creating a space for ministry tailored to our individual strengths and gifts. The call is to shift from passive comparison to active participation, concentrating on what we have rather than dwelling on perceived inadequacies.

When employed in the service of others, our talents become a powerful instrument for good. The encouragement is to break free from the shackles of fear and embrace new opportunities within the church. Trying new things becomes a means of discovering untapped abilities, fostering personal growth, and enriching the collective strength of the church community.

The daily rhythm is awakening with purpose, grounding ourselves in prayer, and actively using our talents to share God’s word. It is a call to action that transcends the boundaries of self-doubt and comparison, emphasizing the profound truth that everyone, without exception, has been endowed with something valuable to contribute to the church. As we faithfully navigate this journey, we fulfill our individual callings and collectively contribute to the vibrant tapestry of the body of Christ.

JRMITCH85 Decisions, Hope

Are You Ready For It?

Preparation is the key. Thanksgiving is happening in less than two weeks; are you ready for it? Walking through your local club store might fill someone with anxiety as they are full of people and long lines. Everyone wants to ensure they have all their shopping done so that their food will be purchased and ready for Thanksgiving. However, there is another type of shopper, one that will wait until the day before and gather up that which is leftover from the hordes. There is one thing about Thanksgiving: whether we are ready for it or not, it will come on November 23rd this year, but our meal can be dictated by how we prepare.

Jesus ultimately doesn’t care what preparations you make for a Thanksgiving feast. However, Christ does call us to be prepared by doing good. Our lives must reflect the change that comes upon us when we find God’s transforming power. We must ask ourselves if we are ready for Christ to come up to us and ask, “Are you ready for my return?”  As He reminds us in The Parable of the Virgins, we do not know when Christ will return; thus, we must always be ready for His return. 

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.  But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 25:1–13.

The parable shows the differences between the prepared and the ill-prepared. One group has just enough, but the other doesn’t have enough. The ill-prepared seek out those who have enough to cover them, but the resources are insufficient to share. Unfortunately, this forced the group without enough oil to go out and do some last-minute shopping. While they were out, they missed their opportunity with the bridegroom. This parable could be ready so literally that it meant we should make sure we always have enough for an emergency. However, the preparation we must make is that our hearts must be ready to receive Christ at all times. When Jesus returns, there won’t be an opportunity to quickly do all the preparations, so we must get our hearts right with God now.

Each of us needs to prepare our hearts for God’s return. Being prepared for God’s second coming is a spiritual imperative that requires steadfast faith, sincere repentance, and a commitment to living a life aligned with divine principles. It involves cultivating a heart attuned to love, compassion, and righteousness and actively seeking a deep connection with the divine through prayer, reflection, and worship. 

Prepare your hearts to do the Gospel work now. We cannot think there will always be another opportunity to be kind or share hope because the bridegroom will come without warning.  Jesus calls on us to set aside any procrastination when doing good. The oil in the parable does not represent a tangible good, but rather, it represents the GOOD that God’s Church must bring to the world. God’s kingdom requires workers who are ready and willing to share the Gospel no matter what one’s life may look like.

The anticipation of God’s second coming motivates us to lead a life of moral integrity, embracing the teachings of compassion and forgiveness. Being prepared involves constant self-examination, acknowledging one’s shortcomings, and striving for continuous spiritual growth. It is a journey of humility and grace, recognizing the profound significance of this event and aligning one’s life with the divine will, ensuring that when the appointed time arrives, the soul is ready to stand before the Creator with a pure and earnest heart.

JRMITCH85 Decisions, Faith

The Pillars of Our Actions and Words

A Call To The Reformation of The Church

In 1517, Martin Luther posted and promulgated the infamous Ninety-five Theses, setting the Protestant Reformation in motion. The various corruptions in the church troubled Luther greatly, and much of his energy was spent wrestling with the church’s rationale for placing itself between God and the people. As a result of these struggles, the European church began a period of splintering and reforming. The purpose of reformation is not breaking and dividing but instead refocusing on the core principles that God would have the church establish as its mission.

Throughout the Gospel, Jesus admonishes the people to establish a relationship with God by connecting with the Word of God directly. However, the Sadducees and the Pharisees sought to control that relationship and act as the intermediary for people’s connection with God. With that control over the Jewish faith, they could then shape the core principles to those that most suited them. However, in the passage below from Matthew 22, we see that Jesus wants nothing to do with this type of religious elitism and instead breaks down a relationship with God into simple pillars upon which everything else in our relationship with God would be built.

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” 

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 22:34–40.

The Pharisee lawyer gathered themself and sought to understand Jesus’ priorities by questioning what part of the law was most important. The answer could reveal a strategy for how to trap Jesus in rhetoric. The words of Jesus would reveal the heart of the mission for the world. We must look at our answer to the question posed because our response opens a window to our heart and what guides us in our words and actions. The way the Pharisees would have responded might have started similar to Jesus but would ultimately continue on past devotion to God, including all the ways that would ensure that you are not offending God. These additional walls built around the law and commandments were lifted so high that they ceased acting as barriers and became the pillars upon which they had built their faith. 

In response to the false pillars of rules, Jesus redirects the people to the heart of faith in the Shema Yisrael, as found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” The first pillar of faith that dictates how we live starts by loving God with our whole being. Everyone who heard Jesus would instantly know what this referenced. Our faith is dictated not by the negative or avoiding offending God, but rather, it actively guides us to love God. Loving God is not about what we don’t do or stay away from but how we actively live in the world. 

Jesus bolsters the understanding that loving God is active by not skipping a beat and connecting love for each other in the same breath as loving God. The second pillar of faith demands that we love our neighbors, no matter who they are. This teaching would have seriously challenged the Pharisees since they had spent most of their time building walls to divide the Jews from those who were less than Jews, which meant that they practiced religion correctly and others did not. Through their regular practices, they created systemic othering, and Jesus warns us that the Gospel works antithetical to this practice. Rather than keeping people out of worship spaces, Jesus calls us to radically include and invite those on the fringes to the heart of worship. 

Martin Luther called the church to return to the heart of worship and discard the vessels that did not proclaim the Gospel to the people. In doing so, he mimicked Jesus’ call to remember that the Gospel is built upon the pillars of loving God and loving our neighbor. Similarly, the church today must remember that the Gospel and the mission of God’s church aren’t about looking just right or playing politics, but rather, it is about loving God AND loving our neighbor. The sharing of the Gospel is propped up by our remembering these two items. Next time we speak, ask whether it loves God and whether it loves our neighbor, and in the same way, when we do something, ask if I am loving God and my neighbor by engaging in this activity.

JRMITCH85 Character, Decisions, Faith, Hope

Making The Burden Light

The old adage that “everything comes at a price” appears truer in our complex and interconnected world. Nearly every aspect of our lives incurs some cost, and what’s disheartening is that the things we’ve grown accustomed to paying for are becoming increasingly expensive. The costs are on a relentless upward trajectory, from the necessities we purchase at the grocery store to the essential utilities that power our homes. Our communities are acutely aware of these rising prices, and the strain is palpable. Each trip to the grocery store and every increase in the power bill adds to the collective burden that our community carries. The daily grind becomes more challenging as the weight of these growing financial demands continues to press upon us, making it ever more essential to find ways to alleviate the burdens weighing on our communities.

Adding to the financial burdens, we see incessant news of violence and war. Constant worry and reflection on the bad news all around weigh down on the hearts and minds of our community, making the church’s role increasingly crucial. It must be a source of solace and liberation, providing a spiritual respite from the pressing concerns that weigh on people’s minds. The church’s mission is not to accumulate burdens or add to the anxieties of its congregation but to act as a haven of freedom, lifting the heavy burdens that life can impose. In the spirit of selflessness, the Apostle Paul is an exemplary model, illustrating the dedication required to ensure the church remains true to its purpose. In his ministry to the Thessalonians, he went above and beyond, never burdening them with financial or material demands and even making personal sacrifices to ensure the unimpeded expansion of the Gospel among them. This selfless dedication is a reminder that the church’s foremost duty is to be a source of spiritual liberation and bear its members’ burdens rather than adding to their loads.

9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. 13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Th 2:9–13.

Unloading the burdens of our neighbors begins with the understanding that the Gospel is free. This principle begins by emphasizing that the message of salvation and God’s love is accessible to all without any prerequisites. It underscores the idea that the church should never charge people for access to the Gospel, and admission should never be required. This principle highlights the unconditional nature of God’s grace, offering salvation to all, regardless of their circumstances or background. God’s call comes before any transformation, illustrating that we are invited into a relationship with Him as we are, without any prior conditions or changes required. This foundational aspect of Christianity reinforces the open and inclusive nature of God’s love and the freely offered gift of salvation.

The Gospel is the dynamic catalyst that propels the church forward in its unwavering commitment to fulfill God’s mission. It is not a static doctrine but a transformative force that encourages all believers to embrace change and personal growth. With the Gospel as our guide, we are inspired to share its message with others, spreading the hope and love it encapsulates. In doing so, we become the change we wish to see in the world, carrying the torch of Christ’s teachings and embodying the values and principles that can bring about positive and lasting transformation in our communities and beyond.

The Gospel is profoundly liberating, offering freedom from the shackles of sin and its detrimental consequences. The church’s sacred responsibility is to be a beacon of hope, guiding individuals toward God’s boundless hope. Our congregations must create spaces that inspire and direct people toward this divine hope. The ultimate freedom, however, lies in surrendering all our worries and burdens to God. Through trust and release, we experience the true essence of freedom – a freedom that transcends earthly constraints and grants us a profound sense of peace and spiritual liberation.

JRMITCH85 Character

Answering God’s Call

It’s impossible to avoid the images and news that come with war. Our hearts break watching people’s suffering paired with mindless and chaotic violence. Our response to the world’s suffering defines specific parts of our personality. The reactions reflect our hearts and whether we reflect the name written on our hearts or if we mimic the reactionary violence of the world. Jesus came into a world full of violence, responded with compassion and mercy, and called out to us to have the same reaction. Will we answer that call and mimic Jesus?

We can examine our response to Jesus’ call by viewing the Parable of the Wedding Feast. The invitations went out to guests, but there were varied responses, some even violent reactions to the summons. The religious elite rejected the king’s call; their invitations were revoked and given to outsiders and outcasts. Read the parable in full below and examine our response to Jesus’s call to be agents of peace in the chaotic world.

And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.” ’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.” 

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 22:1–14.

Those chosen to come to the feast reject the messengers proclaiming about the time for celebration. This celebration ushers in the coming Kingdom of Heaven to us on Earth. Hope proclaimed, peace realized, and the Gospel embodied are all characteristics of the coming Kingdom. The king wants all of us chosen people who know of God’s Kingdom to participate and share the joy with the world. Jesus’ sacrifice invites us to join in the celebratory feast because, through Jesus, we can understand that amid darkness, a light has come to show us all how to love God better and love our neighbor. How do we respond?

Many people, when invited, ignore the joy-filled invitation to feast on hope, peace, joy, and grace. Instead, they continue in the environment in which they are most comfortable and keep themselves busy. When we don’t take time to stop and worship the Almighty God or claim that we are too busy to share the Gospel, we reject the invitation passively. There was a group that responded to the invitation by murdering the messengers. This type of defiant rejection of God’s calling is when we hear the calling of God, and we spread abuse, hatred, anger, and share a message antithetical to the Gospel. We become agents of darkness instead of sharing the light. This reaction is equivalent to the ugly spectacle of division and war. God wants nothing to do with those who respond in such a manner. The hardest part about this group is that they are often blind to their exclusion and would hear Jesus’ message in the parable and think He was talking about someone else. However, we need to heed the warning in this parable and consider our response.

God’s Kingdom is coming with or without us. In the parable, the king keeps inviting until the party fills up. The people that have been cast aside, outsiders, are among those now in the party. God’s working to fill the Kingdom with peacemakers and share the Gospel message proclaiming release to those entrapped by injustice. We need to be the people who embrace the invitation and also extend the invitation to others. In taking this role, we not only embrace the role of the outcast but also become God’s messenger, offering the invitation. The king called the messengers to go and invite everyone they encountered, and thus, the invitation to the Gospel must go to everyone.

The warning in the last part of this passage is a reminder that just because we are invited doesn’t mean we should take it for granted. The warning of the guest who came without wedding clothes instructs us that we need to be prepared to celebrate and share God’s joy, peace, and love. The Kingdom of Heaven requires us to be total participants and not just passive consumers. God calls us to participate in the Kingdom actively; thus, we need to answer the call to share the invitation; otherwise, we are not fulfilling God’s call on our lives.

JRMITCH85 Character, Faith, Hope

Quit Playing Games

Most arguments come down to one person or group asserting that they are on the good or correct side while the other person or group is wrong or evil. The problem with vilification is that it is a naturally divisive tactic. Thus, people choose to quit listening to one another and block themselves from proper points of view if they come from an opponent. This mentality plays out on our screens as we hear rhetoric and talking points coming at us from every direction. A version of a game is playing out before us where we look at opposing points of view as different teams, and we want the other team to lose so that we can win. Winning and losing language is thrust into our faces, and we naturally want to be correct.

In the quest of always being right, there is a constant temptation to try and entangle our opponent in a knot. There are rhetorical devices that many debate professionals employ to force their opponents into a corner, of which they cannot logically get themselves out. Most of the time, these games don’t show which side has the most advantages or correctness, but rather, they reveal the person or group that is better at playing the game. It is influential; just look at how public opinion sways back and forth after any debate. The opponents of Jesus used these same devices to trap Him into incriminating himself, and they hoped it would ultimately rid themselves of their Jesus problem.

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 22:15–22.

While examining this scene, we find the Pharisees coaxing Jesus into the game. They begin feigning flattery and ask Jesus a question that was a lose-lose situation. Either Jesus would upset the Roman Empire or frustrate the followers who thought He was bringing revolution. However, the answer walked around the game and instead pointed out to the Pharisees that they would not be able to trap Him in these word games. Rhetorical traps laid out for us by opponents could lead us into word games, which cause us to focus on the unimportant. Still, Jesus reminds us that even if those who oppose us force our hand, we don’t need to look at a response as a winning or losing response but rather to seek the wholeness of the community and clinging to the Gospel as of paramount importance.

Looking at the world around us, we often get angry at war and violence.  Inevitably, we look at war as winning and losing; unfortunately, there are no winners in war. As followers of Christ, we cannot get dragged into the mud when discussing the proper side in situations where violence pours out and affects the blameless. Civilians suffer the consequences of governments’ inability to maintain peace. However, as followers of Christ, our primary focus must be bringing peace to those hurting and proclaiming the hope of the Gospel to the helpless. If, instead, we waste our energies placating one side or the other and adding to the chaos by using God-imbued creativity to further play into the hands of the chaotic disrupters, we contribute to more games and find ourselves in the role of the Pharisees in this story hoping to trap others and win rather than acting as the peacemaker Jesus implores us to embody.

The games we play have no winners, but Jesus opens up a portal for everyone into hope and a future through the Gospel. Gospel is the antithesis of game playing because through sin, we all lose; we all are devoid of hope until we accept the sacrifice of Jesus. Therefore, as Christians read through the passage above, they can marvel as the Pharisees did, but they should understand that Jesus was not about trying to be correct, but He was showing us all that the systems of this world belong to this world, and that is where it has to remain. Stay above the fray, and look at those around us by granting them an abundant dose of Gospel because God has written His name upon our hearts. This sentiment means we belong to God, and we have all the victory we need. We don’t need to play games to signify our victory, but instead, Jesus calls us to share this victory with our world by giving God’s hope as found in the truth of the Gospel.

JRMITCH85 Character, Decisions, Faith, Hope

Humility: Following Christ’s Example

In ministry and our daily walk in the community, God calls us to emulate Jesus and His life lived while on the Earth. Jesus Christ’s teachings, parables, and actions have transcended time and culture, offering profound wisdom and guidance in all facets of life, and one of the most enduring and impactful lessons He imparted was the virtue of humility. As we embark on our journey in ministry, we are called to emulate Christ’s example of humility, for it is in the selfless act of serving others with a heart devoid of pride that we truly reflect the essence of His teachings and bring light to a world yearning for compassion and grace. Paul guides us to this teaching as we look at Philippians. 

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Php 2:1–11.

Many Christians have taken upon the worldview that everything around us is evil and the people inside the church are good (mostly), which has caused many followers of Christ to stop emulating Christ and instead isolate their friend groups and create “Christian” echo chambers. However, should we find inspiration in the teachings of Philippians 2, where the Apostle Paul imparts a powerful message about emulating Christ’s humility, then we have to start dumping out the buckets that we put people in and start living differently. This passage calls us to adopt the same attitude Christ Jesus exemplified during His earthly ministry. This attitude is characterized by selflessness, humility, and a willingness to serve others above oneself. It is a guiding principle for every aspect of our lives, including how we approach our faith and ministry.

Emulating Christ’s humility begins with profoundly recognizing our limitations and shortcomings. Just wearing the name of Christ does not lift us higher than someone, but rather we are in need of salvation because sin plagues all of us. Just as Christ, who being in the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage, we must also recognize that our status or position should not be wielded for selfish gain. Instead, we are called to empty ourselves of pride and ambition, taking on the form of a servant. This mirrors Christ’s willingness to take on human form and serve humanity through His life, death, and resurrection.

In the realm of ministry, applying this humility is particularly significant. A reformed Christian understands that ministry is not about personal recognition or accolades but about selflessly serving God’s people and sharing Christ’s love and salvation. It means prioritizing the needs of others above our own, just as Christ gave Himself on the cross for our redemption. In this way, we honor Christ’s example of humility by embodying it in our ministry, leading with love, compassion, and a genuine desire to serve and uplift those we are called to shepherd. In essence, Christ gave us a timeless blueprint to follow as we strive to walk in the footsteps of our humble Savior in every facet of our lives, including our sacred calling to ministry, especially in the community we live.

JRMITCH85 Character, Decisions, Hope

Forgiveness: Following God’s Example

As long as people have existed, we have held others to a standard we ourselves often struggle to meet. We find ourselves prescribing a set of expectations for the world around us while, paradoxically, we frequently falter in our attempts to embody those ideals. This fascinating juxtaposition between our lofty standards and human imperfections raises profound questions about the nature of empathy, self-awareness, and the complex interplay between the standards we set for others and those we set for ourselves. This brings us to the passage where Peter approaches Jesus about the need to forgive, and Jesus opens up to the disciples and all of us the standard for forgiveness.

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 18:21–35.

Peter comes to Jesus questioning how far we must go in forgiving each other. Surely, there must be a limit; we all hope there is a limit for those who perpetually cross the line and transgress. Our thoughts mimic Peter in saying the limit must be a generous seven times, but Jesus replies with a response that scoffs at the thought we could put a limit on the ability to forgive, as he doesn’t just give an alternative number, but instead makes that number so much higher that it equates to an infinite retort. Our ability to forgive should have no bounds because Jesus had no limit to His ability to forgive. Even as the people closed in on Him to bring destruction to His body, Jesus did not stop seeking to bring them back to God. We must go above and beyond for Jesus’ sake and follow His example.

Jesus doesn’t stop the lesson on forgiveness with a number but instead shares a parable for us to fully comprehend how far we must go in forgiving. We are placed in the position of the deeply forgiven. Our debt, created by sin, was colossal, and only the sacrifice of Jesus could fill the chasm created by our indebtedness. However, as Jesus walks among us and looks down on us, we don’t act like forgiven people. Instead, we throw those indebted to us in prison, cast them aside, and treat them as unimportant. Our priorities are making things look right in our eyes rather than offering the same compassion given to us, and we fall short of the example Jesus provides in forgiveness. Jesus issues a warning if we continue to live like that.

Ultimately, we must confront our biases and preconceived notions as we comprehend what it means to live a forgiven life. Jesus calls out to us to bring hope to the hopeless and peace to the world while embracing our mission through the love of God. This mission is challenging for us to fully comprehend if we view the world through our modern lifestyle. So many worldviews have emerged, and it may make our heads spin if we attempt to engage without consulting God. God did not send us to Earth to rule over it or dominate society, but rather, we were given the mission to bring the message of God’s never-ending love and a proclamation of forgiveness from sin. Therefore, we need to engage with the competing worldviews from a position of being a forgiven people and sharing that message of forgiveness and peace with the world.

JRMITCH85 Decisions, Faith, Hope

Don’t Cut Corners

When something works, we try and replicate it to varying success. In cooking, this trial and error in making something delicious with the perfect satisfaction is often recorded in a recipe. When we have developed enough recipes, we gather them in a cookbook, and future generations can look at what we have made and replicate it. However, in recipes that are filled with long and complicated steps, people are tempted to cut out some of the steps. Unfortunately, many times, when steps are skipped or altered, the meal does not come out looking the way it was intended.

In the following passage, God delivers a recipe of deliverance for the Hebrew people. Follow these directions, and deliverance will be yours, but if you cut corners and don’t obey this God-given message, things won’t turn out how they would hope. The instructions are specific, and God provides the only way that the Pharaoh will grant them freedom. This will be a day of remembrance for the Israelites, because no corners are cut or instructions skipped. 

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. 7 “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. 10 And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ex 12:1–14.

Just as God delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt, God delivers us from the slavery of sin that bonds us to the punishment of death. To bring freedom to the people of Israel meant that death was coming for many, and even when God sought to have the people freed by many other methods, nine plagues failed to convince Pharaoh to let God’s people go. Thus, death became necessary. Similarly, we failed to follow God’s previous instructions and guidance for salvation by continuously falling short of the standards in the law and perpetually cutting corners, looking for an easy way. However, Jesus followed the instructions exactly as they needed to be followed and thus provided remediation for sin. No corners were cut, even though Jesus knew the difficulty and what following the instructions meant for His life.

The result of not following the law or cutting corners is death. Nonetheless, it doesn’t stop us from looking for a shortcut. The instructions given to the Israelites in this passage were specific; the instructions from God called out the specific sacrifice, time, and method. Follow these instructions exactly, and death will pass over your homes; if not, the penalty is death. Our minds read this and wonder if maybe we would have cut a corner here and there to be able to get past some of the qualifications. Our society has careers built upon finding loopholes in laws and tax codes to cut as many corners as possible. However, there are no loopholes in God’s law; it requires us to follow it, or the penalty is death. Fortunately, Jesus paid that penalty for us but reminds us that even though we have sinned and subsequently redeemed, we are still commanded to follow God’s recipe to love God and love our neighbor.

According to God, there is no cutting the corner of the command to follow Jesus in loving God and our neighbor. There are no acceptable excuses to follow Jesus in love; it doesn’t matter how difficult we find it to carry out. We must share God’s love with everyone. It is cutting corners to omit anyone from our purview, even if we vehemently disagree with them. God has laid out the church’s mission is to bring the people to the source of salvation, Jesus. However, when the church dehumanizes and participates in the cycle of hatred and violence, it removes itself from love. The church doesn’t get to cut the corner of offering love to those who are hard to love, nor does it cut the corner of striving after unity with all. God has given the church a mission to bring people to an understanding of salvation through Christ Jesus. Through this mission, the church will change the world as long as it follows the recipe of God, not the world’s recipes.

God laid out a recipe for us to help build a beautiful, grace-filled world and even provided the necessary ingredients to make it. God gave us grace through Jesus, a perfect demonstration of what loving people look like, and a church to carry out the mission. The people of God lack nothing to construct a kingdom of love, grace, mercy, hope, and peace, but we must get out of our own way of corner-cutting to make things easier on us. Quit cutting corners and start following Jesus, and the church that will be built on that will look a lot more like Jesus and less like the organizations and governments of the world.

JRMITCH85 Character, Faith, Hope

The Christ Follower Test

Today, loyalty tests are intended to show if you are true to your convictions and beliefs. As a music fan, people will frequently determine your fandom if you listen to obscure demo tapes of your favorite bands or if you have a special edition album and saw them in concert before they were famous. The same type of test has taken root in politics, corporations, and even faith. As Christians, throughout history, we have subjected others and been subjected to many tests to determine if someone is a “true Christian.” However, each instance of implementing something like this has caused a split in the church. While Christians have varying beliefs on many issues, none of us stand in any position to declare absolute authority in doctrine; instead, to follow Christ, our oaths and words should be replaced with our love and care for one another and dedication to worship and prayer.

Following God is not about doing what others think; it requires us to set aside what everyone else might think and give it all to God in worship. Each step toward testing based on the proper doctrine needs to be measured against how Paul told us in Romans about how a Christian should treat others.

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 12:9–21.

To follow Christ requires us to set aside anything that is forced or imitating anything that doesn’t fulfill our true intention in coming to faith. How we live must glorify God, and we cannot act as people who just go through the motions to live such that we mimic what other Christians think we should do. The more we do this, the more we look like someone posing as a Christian rather than living in the way God requires. Paul opens this passage by telling us, “Let love be genuine.” True love cannot be faked; we cannot pose as someone who loves someone; instead, our hearts must be transformed to look more like Christ. Christ’s heart, when encountering evil, fought against it, not by destroying people, but by sacrificing His freedom to overcome evil. 

Typically, a test differentiates us from others, isolating the person who passes from those who fail. However, because of sin in our lives, we have all failed and fallen short of the level necessary to pass the test. Therefore, the Christ follower doesn’t strive to disqualify people from God’s Kingdom but instead necessitates all disciples to bring others into the love of God. Paul reminds us that even those who oppose us must be welcomed in, and we show God’s love more by acting as a contrast to how they treat us. Thus, any tests for following Christ aren’t for us to administer to others; instead, they measure us against the standard to which we hold ourselves. 

Ultimately, the test we must pass is treating one another so that we communicate the Gospel regardless of the person. Is someone hurting? Then, we must grant them comfort. Is there injustice in our world? Our mission is to bring justice and peace. No matter the circumstances where people find themselves, a follower of Christ always brings HOPE to the table and peace to the world, and in all things, they strive for unity and share the love of God. Are you a faithful follower of Christ? Good, then do as Christ instructs you, not for my sake or the sake of others, but for the spread and sharing of the Gospel with the world.