bondChristian

Rights vs. privileges

Marshall Jones Jr. — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:22:43 +0000

You have no rights.

I don’t either.

All we have are privileges.

As I wrote about the common objections to slavery, I realized I’d not specifically written much about rights or privileges. This isn’t a comprehensive post about them, but I’d like to open the discussion.

First off…

Rights (by definition)

Rights are actions you deserve or are owed to you.

For example, you might have the right to walk in the street instead of the sidewalk (your action) without anyone spitting on you (everyone else’s action). You deserve it.

Rights are slippery – politicians and philosophers (et al.) have spent lifetimes discussing the definition. Hopefully this definition, though, sums it up fairly loosely.

The problem with rights

When we don’t have rights, we’ll often try to fight for them. Check all the civil rights and social justice movements, right?

But once we have those rights, we often forget we had to fight for them. We forget that they can be taken away. After all, we deserve them – they’re no longer…

Privileges (by definition)

Privileges are a type of gift.

A father can give a child the privilege of riding shotgun.
A brother can give his brother the privilege of playing with his LEGO set.
A woman can give a man the privilege of marrying her (for me, that’s how it would work, not the other way around, but whatever).

Privileges are given and received (rights are deserved and taken).

In common conversation, “rights” and “privileges” are often used interchangeably, so don’t let the terms slow you up. The way I use them, rights are more like the political version you know and love, and privileges are more like the personal version you receive every day.

So here’s the deal…

You and I can fight for rights all we want. We can think we deserve the right to life, deserve the right to property, deserve the right to pursue happiness… fine.

But they’re not really rights. From an entirely human perspective, they might seem that way. And because most people don’t take God seriously, they’re left to assume rights stop on the human level.

But for those who know better, rights don’t exist. We don’t deserve anything.

We don’t deserve free speech.
We don’t deserve clean air to breath.
We don’t deserve retirement compensation.
We don’t deserve a ride on the Merry-Go-Round.
We don’t deserve happiness or its pursuit or any other pursuit for that matter.

You and I only deserve death. Because we’re sinners, and sinners deserve death and torture and punishment.

Frankly, I don’t want what I deserve – I want what God gives me. I want the privileges He gives.

Rights are justice. Justice hurts.

Privileges are mercy and grace. I want the mercy and grace. Thankfully – and this is why I’m fired up about Christ – God wants to give me mercy and grace. Our desires align. For that, I’m ecstatic.

And for that, people will come to Christ… because they want mercy and grace too. But they won’t come if they think they deserve anything. No one cares about the gift giver if they think they deserve the gifts.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Make a list (yes, I’m a big fan of lists). Make a list of 20 “rights” you really, really like.

(2) Now, those items on your list, are they rights or privileges? Do you deserve them, or do you just receive them? What would God say?

Your objections to slavery (and my responses)

Marshall Jones Jr. — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:16:42 +0000

Slavery is objectionable. I get that.

I don’t want to imply slavery is a perfect, all-inclusive way of describing the Christian’s relationship with God. Sounds small to me. And if you don’t think of yourself as a slave, this might not change your mind – and I’m not necessarily here to do that.

What I’d like to do is open you to a different perspective, a perspective that often goes overlooked. To help flesh that out, here are my responses to eight common objections to slavery and how it relates to Christian life.

Objections:

Slaves have no choice
Slaves are blind followers
Slavery implies cruelty
Slavery has a bad reputation
Slaves earn their livelihood
Slavery doesn’t apply to Christians
Slaves aren’t invested
God doesn’t call us slaves

[Note: This is a long read for a post (1,700+ words), so you might consider breaking it into sections, skimming it, or giving up on it altogether. Just a warning.]

Objection 1: Slaves have no choice

“Slaves have no freedom – they’re taken against their will.”

Yes, they do have choice – they can disobey. Of course their master would probably take away their food rations or whip them or lock their thumbs in stocks, but they can choose that outcome.

Yes, I realize this is a snarky answer. It’s a crucial distinction, though, because we usually assume away those lousy options. Slaves always have a choice, but the consequences of disobedience are too terrible to consider.

That’s right on with the gospel. You and I can do what we want, but we won’t like the consequences. It’s not like God wants to punish us – in fact, He’s trying not to. But He’ll always let us choose, even if it squashes our souls.

A more sophisticated question might ask if forcing anyone to make such a decision is right. But that doesn’t conflict with Christianity because we already accept that everyone must make a decision to either obey or disobey God.

Our options are open, just like a slave’s – but just like the slave, we don’t want to consider the disobedient side.

Objection 2: Slaves are blind followers

“Slaves don’t know what they’re doing – they follow because they have to.”

If you get past the part about slaves always having a choice, this one stops making sense as well.

Slaves are aware of their choice to obey. They know or at least have a good idea of the consequences of not following. I’d guess slaves follow even closer than those who have nothing at risk. They might not always understand the overall plan of the master, but they certainly know the details of what they’re supposed to do.

As Christians who’ve heard the gospel message, we’re in the same position. We’re not blind followers. You and I know where sin leads – but we also know where Christ leads. We might not understand everything, but we pay close attention.

Objection 3: Slavery implies cruelty

“When we think of slavery, we think of cruelty, poor conditions, and excessive labor.”

As difficult as it is to swallow, what’s so bad about cruelty?

This objection starts with false assumptions. We assume cruelty, poor conditions, and excessive labor are morally wrong. But in slavery, why’s it wrong? If the master owns the slave, then the master can do whatever he wants with his property.

You and I object because we don’t go far enough in understanding that slaves are property (and as a result, have no rights of their own), and we are God’s property.

The common secular argument against slavery usually cites some intrinsic human value or right.

I don’t believe in human rights, and I don’t believe in intrinsic human value. Just like anything else, humans are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them. The only value we have is the value God places on us and pays for us.

And God did pay for us, even after creating us, so we belong to Him. We might object to humans owning other humans, but that doesn’t apply to God. God does own humans. Since we’re God’s property, He can do what He wants with us.

Thankfully for us, God loves and wants what’s best for us, but He has every right to do anything He wants. There’s nothing wrong with a craftsman using his chisel however he wants, even if it means destroying it.

This knowledge is what leads you and I to such intense thankfulness… because we recognize that God really could lock our thumbs in the stocks, or worse, but instead He blesses us.

Objection 4: Slavery has a bad reputation

“I understand what you’re saying, Marshall, but is this the best image to present for Christianity, considering the reputation?”

Christianity has a bad reputation too, but that’s no reason to gloss over it, right?

Would I introduce slavery to someone who’s on the fence about Christ? Well, perhaps not. Perhaps it’s too intense at first (but so is starting with Jesus dying and coming back to life).

Then again, perhaps I would. I do here. Part of the challenge in explaining anything to an unsaved person is keeping it simple and practical. I think slavery fits both those, and I don’t think it’s necessarily something to shy away from explaining, even to someone without much Christian background.

If slavery’s that much of a turn off, so is believing that Jesus is Lord (they go together).

Objection 5: Slaves earn their livelihood

“A slave earns his right to life by the work he performs, but we don’t have to earn salvation.”

That’s only partly accurate (the salvation part is entirely accurate). Sure, a slave might receive better treatment for obeying, but I don’t think it’s direct compensation.

Slaves don’t earn wages. Slaves don’t strike bargains. I have a hard time thinking of slaves as receiving compensation for their labor. Isn’t that what separates slaves from servants or the surfs of the Middle Ages?

Instead of compensation, slaves are treated better or worse depending on how much their master likes them, but that speaks more to the master’s character than to the slave’s work.

I find that comparison much closer to how God chooses to bless us, based on His character, not our labor.

Objection 6: Slavery doesn’t apply to Christians

“Galatians 4:7 says, “Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

This is certainly one of the trickiest objections. I struggled (and still struggle) with it too. Of course, I can only agree what what the Bible says in that passage.

At the same time (same book even), we read…

“For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” -Galatians 1:10

And the word “bondservant” here is the same word as in Galatians 4:7 where it’s translated as “slave.” In fact, as you know, it’s not just in Galatians:

“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ…” -Romans 1:1

“Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ…” -Philippians 1:1

“Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ…” -Colossians 4:12

“James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ…” -James 1:1

And on and on.

So going off the Scripture, it seems to me that slave and child both apply at the same time depending on the specific perspectives. And I love that. I love that we’re children and disciples and friends and slaves of Jesus Christ.

Objection 7: Slaves aren’t invested

“A slave does not have a vested interest in his master’s business while a son does in his Father’s business.”

Without a closer relationship, how can you and I care about the work God calls us to do? Aren’t we just doing it out of duty instead of out of a desire to further glorify God?

This comes back to our motives. Why are we serving God? Why are we choosing to submit to Him?

The only way slaves can be invested in their master’s projects is if they care for their master. And that’s the beauty of God’s work through our lives. He isn’t a tyrant. He isn’t a domineering slave driver. He’s a caring master who wants what’s best for us.

Perhaps the father/child metaphor does work better here. But somehow realizing how feeble I am as a slave makes God’s blessings that much sweeter and drives me to love Him back.

Remember: we’re only thankful for what we know we don’t deserve.

Objection 8: God doesn’t call us slaves

“The word ’slave’ is debasing, while Christ called us friends and made it possible for us to be sons and daughters of God.”

This is almost the same as Objection 6. But the question here is, if God doesn’t call us slaves, should we?

Consider this: a king or president or anyone in authority might ask us to call him “Jon” instead of “Lord High Jon the Majestic,” and we’d feel honored. But does that negate the authority?

I think the same applies to God. God, in His love for us, doesn’t order us around the way we would imagine a slave driver to order around his slaves. But that doesn’t necessarily abolish the master/slave relationship.

As I said in the comments before, I don’t think it’s either/or – I think it’s both (or all). I bring up the slave side because it’s the perspective that’s ignored, even though the Bible and the disciples and Jesus support it as well.

“And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.” -Mark 10:44

Serving Suggestions:

(1) What do you think? Did these hit on some of your biggest doubts about slavery?

(2) Update me. What else would you like me to explore about slavery? If you add suggestions in the comments, I might bump them up into the post here. I’m still trying to wrap my head around slavery as much as anyone, so I’d love to get your response.

*****

[Thanks to Patricia, Bernard, and Stuart who commented on the other post and those who emailed me suggestions on this. I'm always interested in your thoughts and how I can make this site better. Thank you for helping.]

Objection 6: Slaves aren’t invested

“A slave does not have a vested interest in his master’s business while a son does in his Father’s business.”

Humongousize your thankfulness in 1,000 tiny steps

Marshall Jones Jr. — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:27:03 +0000

Not everything small must stay that way (Photo: loop oh)

Two Thanksgivings ago as you know, I embarked on a massive challenge, something I’d never done before. I decided to create a humongous list of reasons I was thankful. Looking back, ’twas one of the best things I did that year. Seriously.

So I thought I’d spread the challenge again. This will increase your thankfulness. The hardest part is committing to do it. You’ll reach a point where you can’t go on – perhaps around 20, perhaps around 200 – but you’re not fooling anyone. You can make it to the end. Commit to it ahead of time.

1. Find a notebook or a couple pieces of paper.

2. Find a pen.

3. Create some time for yourself (even five minutes is a fantastic place to start).

4. Find some quiet space (sometimes more difficult that it sounds, right?).

5. Write down “1.”

6. Write one reason you’re thankful beside that 1.

7. Move down and write “2.”

8. Again, write one reason you’re thankful.

9. Repeat steps 4-7 but increase the numbers each time.

10. Keep repeating until you reach 1,000.

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” -Psalm 100:4

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Start your list.

(2) Finish your list.

(3) Spread it. Tell everyone why you’re thankful. Show them your list. Tweet it. Post it on facebook or your blog. Hang it on your refrigerator. Live a thankful life.

How I wrote a recommendation letter – what would you add?

Marshall Jones Jr. — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:15:33 +0000

Toward the beginning of last month, I received an email from one of my favorite college professors asking for a recommendation. He’d been nominated to receive an award as an outstanding part-time faculty member. I certainly don’t have time to write extra letters, but he’s a friend and an outstanding part-time faculty member, so I agreed.

…Even though I didn’t know what to do.

Writing recommendation letters is one of those skills most of us don’t consider too often. At least I don’t. Not many people want my recommendation, I suppose.

But as huge fan of recommendations, I think it’s important to develop this skill – it can certainly carry over into informal recommendations in daily conversation.

So this is what I did to write my letter. I’ve also included some questions for you because I’d like your help in improving my (and other reader’s) recommending skills.

Googled it

I had written one of these letters about two years ago. Two years ago. So yeah, I had totally forgotten what I was doing.

Google provided some templates, which I used to structure of my letter. I’m all about creativity and breaking rules to stand out, but I thought it was a good idea to figure out what rules I was breaking.

Do think a template is a good idea?

Learned about the audience

I don’t know if this is always the case (I imagine it often is) – I didn’t know who I was writing to. I knew it was some committee, but the name didn’t reveal much. So I looked them up.

This took some extra work on my part, but I think having at least a few faces helped me sound personal without too much casualness. (Like I didn’t use the word “casualness” in the letter.) It also gave me some background on what they were looking for in a candidate.

Is that too much work considering the benefits don’t seem that impressive? What do you think?

Focused on stories

This is a big problem with my writing – I don’t tell enough stories. I usually ignore the voice telling me to include more stories here because I’m writing how-to posts. I’ll try to change that. With the letter, though, I specifically focused on writing detailed stories and nothing else.

I told about how my professor used an unusual exam/quiz combo to help students know where they stood in the class.
I explained about how he’d shared about his former life as a lawyer.
And I gave a few examples of when he’d gone beyond the classroom to help and get to know his students.

Do you think writing primarily with stories is a good idea or do people want “just the facts (ma’am)”?

Include something (slightly) negative but provide a rebuttal

Without any negativity, I think most recommendation letters feel fake, especially from a business perspective. It’s one thing to know someone you get along with well – it’s quite another to give the impression that a professor is universally perfect.

So in my letter, I included a brief section about why some students didn’t like his class.

What do you think – is that a good idea?

Ended with a recommendation I’d given to my brother

Instead of ending by recommending this professor for the award, which of course anyone writing a recommendation letter is going to do, I ended with a story of how I recommended him to my younger brother. And my brother is now trying to get into another class with him.

I think if I were reading the letter, I’d appreciate some creativity toward the end instead of a fizzle out that’s been done a quintillion times before.

But is it better to stick with a traditional template?

Now that I’ve shared what I did, I want to open this up (as if it’s ever closed) for you to share your thoughts.

Have you written recommendation letters, for professors or otherwise? How did you do it? What would you add, or subtract, from what I did?
Perhaps you’ve been on the other side – perhaps you’ve had to read these letters. As a reader, what do you suggest?
Are recommendation letters even worth the effort? Here’s something I didn’t address – how would you decide when to write them?

I’d love to get your input on how to best serve others through these letters.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Write a letter of recommendation. Even if it’s just for practice, I think you’ll learn a lot about serving because you have two (sometime competing) interests to keep in mind: the one being recommended and the one reading the recommendation (to say nothing of your own effort to write it).

(2) Share about your experiences with writing (or reading) letters of recommendation. (Or even if you have no experience, I’d love to hear your thoughts.)

Touching Godliness Through Submission – “Free” book

Marshall Jones Jr. — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:00:39 +0000

Click here to learn more about submission

This isn’t a book review or case study, though I should probably do both for Touching Godliness Through Submission and its author, K.P. Yohannan. For now, though, I thought I’d point you to a wonderful resource.

The book is only $10. Not bad. Plus, you’re supporting an amazing organization.

But if you’re interested, I’d suggest checking out the free, downloadable version first. You have to opt-in by giving an email address, but that’s a small “price” to pay to learn more. When you do, you’ll get the full, PDF version. You can print that or read it on your screen. Either way, I’d say it’s worth it.

Check it.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Sign up to grab your free, PDF copy. Read it. Live it.

(2) Consider purchasing the hard copy.

(3) Let me know your thoughts on it. And in general, how do you feel about submission? What have you learned about it?

(4) Do you like me pointing to various resources like this, or would you rather I stick to my own, original content?

Try this to get clear on salvation

Marshall Jones Jr. — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:54:02 +0000

There’s more to the Bible than salvation, but like nothing else in the Bible, salvation is the center of attention. I believe you and I should share that same focus.

But there’s a problem… at least for me. I can’t define in clear terms the requirements for salvation. Can you? As a Christian, this is a fundamental belief I can’t continue to overlook. And if you’re not clear on it, neither can you.

Let me give an example of how salvation can get muddy.

The virgin birth example

I believe Mary, Jesus’s mother, was a virgin when Jesus was conceived. To me, that’s an important part of my belief in Christ – without it, I find it difficult to hold that Jesus was in fact Christ, God in human form.

But is a belief in the virgin birth required for salvation? No, I don’t think it is.

Here’s why. I accepted Jesus into my heart when I was five years old. At the time, I had no idea what “virgin” even meant. Some might say I couldn’t have received Christ into my heart so young because I didn’t fully understand what it meant. I can only appeal to my own experience and similar experiences of others on this, but I’m pretty sure I did accept Christ that day.

I don’t say this to get into an argument about the importance of Jesus’s virgin birth – many other similar example apply as well. What I’m getting at is this: you and I need to define clearly what’s required for salvation and cut out what’s not… at least for now.

To start…

Salvation is based on what we believe, not what we fail to believe.

As a five year old, I failed to believe in the virgin birth because I didn’t understand it. If I had fully understood it and actively denied it, that might have been more of a problem. But since I didn’t fully understand, I don’t think it stood in the way of my salvation.

But that’s tricky. Almost anytime someone doesn’t believe a specific detail, we could write it off as a lack of understanding. For example, what if someone says they don’t believe Jesus died on the cross? We could assume that’s because they don’t understand how it could happen. But is that on the same level as the virgin birth?

No, I don’t believe it is. So the question is…

What elements of salvation are crucial for a belief in salvation?

That’s the question I’d like you and I to flesh out in detail.

I know, I know – this can get deep. This is the territory of theologians and professional Bible studiers. But as Christians whose job it is to share salvation with others, we better get fairly clear on it. Otherwise, we’re wasting everyone’s time trying to reach the lost world.

I’ve started sharing what I think is crucial in You’re not a Christian if… (Part 1) and plan to expand on that. But more than agree with me, I hope you can run through this process on your own.

Here’s my challenge for you (and me) in constructing salvation:

Construct salvation so a five year old can believe.

I don’t mean dumb it down. I don’t mean drop out essentials. I mean get specific about what’s actually required in terms anyone can understand.

If you’re a parent, you might have already gone through this. My challenge is to keep salvation that simple… not make it more complicated for anyone over five years old.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Begin contructing salvation. Write it out in clear, non-Christian terms.

(2) Share some of what you come up with in the comments.

Top 10 reasons to become a slave

Marshall Jones Jr. — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:54:17 +0000

Who knew slavery could be so amazing (Photo: ManojVasanth)

Last week, I shared an introduction to slavery, but I didn’t explain why slavery matters, why Christians should be all over it. That was a mistake – I should have started with this article.

In a era where slavery is marginalized, its benefits go unnoticed… forgotten. Who wakes up in the morning thinking, How can I become a slave today? I write about it, but that’s certainly not me. How could I expect you to care about slavery?

In this article, I’d like to step back and share some of the benefits. It’s not a complete list, but I hope it gives a feel for where I’m coming from.

Just to clear this up, these are reasons to become a slave to Christ. I don’t recommend becoming a slave to anything else, so this list doesn’t necessarily apply to other kinds of slavery. But I think it certainly applies to you.

And now, here are the top 10 reasons to become a slave:

1. God instructed you

“Receive, please, instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up…” -Job 22:22-23

“Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; keep her, for she is your life.” -Proverbs 4:13

I could go on and on. God gave and continues to give instruction so you and I won’t be idiots (or do idiotic things). Listen.

Oh, one more because I like the way it’s worded:

“Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge,But he who hates correction is stupid.” -Proverbs 12:1

2. You’re a slave anyway

As Bobby D. sang…

“Well, it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you’re gunna have to serve somebody…” -Bob Dylan, Gotta Serve Somebody

It’s true.

“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” -Luke 16:13

You might as well make a deliberate choice. You might as well make the right choice.

3. Slaves change the world

The people who change the world – not just change but positively impact the world – are slaves. They’re slaves because they dedicate their lives to their pursuit.

Changing the world is a tough job. It doesn’t happen on nights and weekends or Easters and Christmases. Sure, it can start there, but the real world changers give their lives completely, thoroughly… all the time.

That’s what slaves do. And the results are amazing.

4. Slavery is liberating

At first, no one sees this coming – it sounds oxymoronic (perhaps just moronic). You almost have to try slavery to know how liberating it is. Here are two ways I’ve felt the liberation:

1. Slaves aren’t responsible for results.

When you’re a slave, it doesn’t matter how the results turn out – or at least you’re not responsible for them. After all, the results come because the plans worked. The master makes the plans – the slave follows them. If the plans don’t work out, the slave’s not at fault.

Slaves enjoy results but aren’t responsible for them.

The slave is only responsible for obeying. Doesn’t sound so liberating… but try it – you’ll see.

2. If you’re a slave to God, then you’re free from sin.

“[K]nowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” -Romans 6:6

Freedom from sin is amazing. I don’t have much else to say about that for now. Again, try it and see.

5. You’ll become more than your puny self

Slaves aren’t individuals – they’re part of their master. As an individual, you’re only as big as yourself, but as a slave, you’re bigger than yourself.

You carry the master’s reputation.
You receive the master’s protection.
You work on the master’s projects.
And more…

If your master’s lousy – doesn’t have a good reputation, can’t protect, and has meaningless projects – then of course slavey might not feel so attractive. But if you have a spectacular master, you’re part of something spectacular. God is spectacular.

6. People will love you for it

God’s slaves serve others. In all fairness, people will hate you for that more than like you… and certainly more than love you. But the people who do recognize what you’re doing for them will be thrilled out of their minds.

How many movies have you seen or stories have you read where someone saves someone else’s life, and as a result that someone else devotes his or her life to the life saver? Gratitude is powerful.

So sure, not everyone will recognize your life-savingness, but those who do… just imagine. Or don’t imagine… go live it.

7. People will respect you more

Even if no one loves you, they’ll respect your devotion. Not everyone agrees with everyone else – most don’t. But most people do respect those who are totally, utterly devoted to what they believe and what they do.

Slaves are totally devoted.

People trust those with devotion. If you’re not devoted, why should anyone care? But if you say you’re devoted and are, they’ll pay more attention.

8. It’s the only meaningful way to give back

When someone gives so much to someone else, the thankfulness piles up. And when you and I are blessed beyond anything we can imagine, the only meaningful response is to spread that blessing to others. (I love the gratitude echo.)

Paying back with money isn’t enough.
Paying back with time isn’t enough.
Paying back with energy isn’t even enough.

The only meaningful response is to give your life back… and even then, you’re not paying back – that’s impossible. Instead, your sharing back. And that’s more meaningful than any business, quid pro quo transaction.

9. You’ll live your best life now

I love how cheesy this sounds, but like the others, it’s true.

God doesn’t give instruction so He’ll benefit – He gives instruction so you and I will benefit. His instruction is our lifeline. We’re dependent on God – His instruction keeps us safe.

But more than safe, God’s instruction blesses us beyond any life we could build from our own plans.

10. God commanded you

Finally, and this goes all the way back to the top, become a slave because God commanded you. God asks nicely, but if that doesn’t work…

“The fear of the Lord i s the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.” -Psalm 111:10

When all else fails, serve the Lord because there’s no other option. You are lost without Him. If Jesus is your Savior, He has to be your Lord. Otherwise, He can’t save you. Depending demands submitting.

For a bondChristian, Jesus is Savior and Lord.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Become a slave. Nice and practical, right? I’ll followup on this in the coming posts. Subscribe (Email/RSS) to stay in the loop.

(2) What are some common objections to slavery? What are your reasons for avoiding it? I’m working on a post that will answer some of the common problems we have with slavery, so I’d love to get your feedback on this. Perhaps I’ll use some of it in the next part of this series.

(3) For those of you who’ve read all the way to the bottom, this isn’t a serving suggestion – I just want to say thank you.

The science of serving others

Marshall Jones Jr. — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:04:35 +0000

Serving others requires experimenting (Photo: Juhansonin)

Science is based on observation and experimentation. When it’s not, it’s not science. Serving others is, in this way, a science.

The hodge-podge experiments

When I was about seven years old, like other seven year olds, I performed “experiments.” I had the privilege of being home schooled, so for the most part my experiments were encouraged. Plus, I was inspired by watching and “helping” my mother in the kitchen.

So I’d dump flour and baking soda and raisins and vanilla and basil and other “usually not meant to go together” ingredients into a mixing bowl. And I’d stir. And perhaps freeze it. I didn’t have much direction – I had fun.

In the beginning, that’s what serving others looks like. It’s a hodge-podge of ingredients that don’t usually go together… with not much direction.

The deliberate experiments

Later, I moved on to actually following direction. Directions gave my experiments purpose.

For example, I remember poking holes in the side of a can with a nail, taping over the holes, and filling the can with water. I carried it and a flashlight into a dark bathroom then pointed the light inside the can. Holding the can and water over the sink, I removed the tape.

The water poured out the holes and the light from the flashlight followed the flow of the water. What does that mean? It means light can bend (instead of shining straight out from the holes). Totally cool, right?

This is when serving others gets productive. Not when we start bending light, but when you and I begin experimenting with a purpose in mind. That’s when we discover what works.

Start by forming hypotheses

For experiments to work properly, you have to guide them with hypotheses. As you know, a hypothesis is a guess about why something happens the why it does. When you make those predictions then go out and test them, you’re working like a scientist.

That’s how we have to work when serving others.

Why form hypotheses

The whole purpose of taking guesses and testing them is to discover general principles that will apply to a many situations. The scientist might suppose that gravity causes an apple to fall from the tree to the ground instead of the other way around.

From that, the scientist tests other situations and could eventually come to the conclusion that fruit, any object really, will try to fall to the ground. Not every fruit will fall to the ground – there are always exceptions (like if a table is in the way). But the scientist can establish some general principles from the results of the tests if start from decent hypotheses.

[My apologies to real scientists here who recognize that I'm way over my head talking about gravity.]

You and I have to use some of the same techniques when serving others. We can try different approaches, but if we don’t track the results or start off with any purpose in mind, it’s difficult to discover what works and what doesn’t.

Yes, we’ll stumble upon principles by “accident”, but if we’re not paying specific attention, you and I won’t recognize the beauty of the “accidents” when they occur.

Serving others is certainly an individual skill – you can’t generalize the humanity out of it. But assuming generalizations automatically don’t apply to people is ridiculous. The more we serve others and the closer we come to understanding how God works, the stronger and more workable our generalizations will become.

Here are a three favorites of mine to give you an idea of what I mean:

1. If you want to get, give

2. Reminders are more helpful than new information now

3. bondChristians live driven by thankfulness

These are all generalizations, but they help define how and why to serve others. There are many more principles like these. Much of what I write here is about exploring these and applying them to real, day to day living. From there, it’s a matter of fleshing them out for ourselves, aligning our desires with God’s, and diving into the trenches to find how they all work for His glory.

Serving others is a deliberate act. Learning it is deliberate too. Like science, it’s a painstaking process of trying and failing and trying and failing and finally finding what doesn’t work, switching our assumptions, and building in a new direction toward what does work.

Craziness.

Science isn’t easy. And serving others is messier than most. But like my hodge-podge experiments, it’s not worth much to anyone else without all the rigor of that comes with science.

“Test all things; hold fast what is good.” -Thessalonians 5:21

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Experiment. Try new things. Push in a direction until you know why it doesn’t work. Many of the guiding principles are given in the Bible. It’s up to you and I to apply them to daily life and find precisely how to best serve others. If we’re adding ingredients haphazardly, we’re not going to get too far.

(2) Have you experimented lately with serving others? How do you start? How do you find what works? What have you found that does work?

4 practices to serve and interact when you’re physically alone

Marshall Jones Jr. — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:40:56 +0000

You can impact even when you're alone (Source: Kevin)

On Saturday, I took a nap.

I didn’t wake up until 3:23 am. And yes, that felt weird.

Once I woke up, I couldn’t go back to sleep because I’d been out for about 12 hours. So what’s a guy to do in the middle of the night?

Have you been in a similar situation? Perhaps not napping the day away but where you find yourself alone and not sure what to do?

I’ve had this post in mind for a couple weeks but didn’t write it up because it seemed too boring, too elementary. I didn’t think anyone wanted to hear these suggestions since they’re very not new.

The other night, though, when I didn’t know what to do, these four tools came to mind. I thought,Wow, this is actually helping me right now – perhaps others will get some value out of it as well.

If you remember these four simple practices, not just know them (you already know them), I think you’ll get a lot more out of this.

1. Pick up the phone

[For daytime, real time interaction]

Almost everyone has a cell phone now. And even if they don’t, they’re probably not too far from one. I’d guess that cells are even more common than land lines now. Either way, phones are everywhere.

So break out your phone and say hey.

I know I’ve definitely slacked on this one. I don’t usually call because I don’t have anything specific to say. That doesn’t matter – call anyway, even if it seems pointless. Send some encouragement.

For me at 3:23 am, this wasn’t much of an option, though it did come to mind.

2. Hop on the Internet (’cause surfing it is so ’90s)

[For anytime, almost real time interaction when you have an online connection]

I could go on and on about this one. As you know, I thrive in this space and still feel I’ve not even touched its potential.

When I say the Internet, I mean the Internet in all its glory:

Social media: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Myspace (?), and so on.
Email, AIM, Skype, Google Wave (if you know what you’re doing over there)
Forums: find a Christian forum and offer your encouragement or a forum in one on one of your interests and offer your help.
Blogs (start one of your own) and comments.

Someone’s always available online if you’re not selfish enough. Create some content and start a conversation around it. Care.

Even at 3:23 am on a Sunday morning, I found a couple people to interact with.

3. Write a letter

[For deep interaction when you can make enough time to do it]

The wonderful thing about all these is that each minister in different ways. The phone is personal and emotional – the Internet is wide. I like to think of letters as deep.

You can say in a letter what you could never say on the phone or even in person. You can be succinct.

I’ve learned more from letters than any other form of communication, from the letters I sent to my grandma when I was seven to the continued correspondence I keep with my friends and mentors. If you’re slacking in this area, don’t.

Start with a simple Thank You.

4. Pray for a friend (or enemy)

[For everywhere, anytime intercession (even in solitary confinement)]

When Corrie ten Boom (if you don’t know who she is, you definitely need to check out her testimony through the Holocaust) became too old to travel and speak, she grew depressed. How can God use me as powerfully now? she thought.

Shortly after, she spoke with Joni Eareckson Tada (if you don’t know who she is, you also need to check out her autobiography). Joni told Corrie that even though she could no longer travel to speak to people, she could speak to God for people.

That became Corrie’s new ministry. (Why’s it always second string?)

If Corrie ten Boom, who prayed to thank God for lice in a Nazi concentration camp because they kept the guards out of the room while she shared Christ with fellow prisoners… if she can forget about the power of prayer, you and I can (and do) too.

But if she can re-realize the importance of prayer, you and I can too.

Mix ‘em up

Now that I’ve reminded you (and myself) about these four practices, we can also mix and match them. Two examples:

Write a letter and send it as a facebook message
Pray for your friend on the phone

What other mixes can you try?

You and I know about all four of these and even some of the mixes. They’re not new. But we forget. I’m not writing this to tell you something new – I’m writing this to remind you that when you’re alone, when you wake up in the middle of the night after a nap, you don’t have to stop serving.

God’s brilliant like that – He makes ways. He reminded me to write this for you at 3:23 am. What about you?

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Are you alone right now? Why not try one of these. <

(2) What other suggestions do you have?

Can you do for Christianity what Michael Hyatt did for Thomas Nelson?

Marshall Jones Jr. — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:59:56 +0000

I hated Thomas Nelson Publishers. [Update: Check Michael's comment response here for why that hate's dwindling even faster now.]

Question: What’s more important than the Holy Grail?
Answer: The Holy Bible.

And Thomas Nelson doesn’t get it.

I’m a fan of the New King James Version. I’ve read from the same Bible my whole life: a NKJV, Thomas Nelson Bible. I re-covered it, though, because the old one fell apart (and I never take it out of its leather case). That’s why I hated Thomas Nelson.

Thomas Nelson makes lousy Bible covers.

Zondervan makes decent covers. Theirs even look snappy. Some even have snaps to hold them closed, not that snaps are everything.

But Thomas Nelson covers fall apart like wet noodle igloos. It’s ridiculous. Books, especially Bibles, should last more than a couple years. It’s criminal. And Thomas Nelson workers are Nelsinners for it. Okay, that’s childish name-calling – what I mean is, I didn’t have much respect for the company. At all.

Until Michael Hyatt

Michael rockin' the guitar - now to start rockin' those Bible covers (Source: Digitizer)

As you know, Michael Hyatt’s the CEO of Thomas Nelson. He’s blogged for over ten years now (since before they were called blogs), but I only discovered him recently.

[Some back story about my reading habits: I read way too many blogs (but I'm not stopping). For the most part, they're disposable for me - I'm all about the latest content. I don't mine many archives anymore. Having said that...]

I read Michael’s archives. I ate it up… and still do. (If that’s not a recommendation, I don’t know what is.)

While reading through Michael’s posts, I began to notice my perception of Thomas Nelson switching. In a good way. Finally, a couple weeks after discovering Michael, I found an old interview with him on God’s Mac.

In the interview, Michael mentioned that part of the significance of his blog is that it reveals a face, a person, behind the Thomas Nelson company. Michael’s blog humanizes the company similar to how Jesus humanized God.

“God was not content to remain aloof… He became a man.” -Michael Hyatt

When I heard that, I knew I had to write this post. He’d harpooned what I’d come to realize about him, and about Christianity.

I still don’t like Thomas Nelson, Bible covers, but I don’t hate the entire empire anymore. Because for me now, Thomas Nelson has a face: Michael Hyatt.

Does Christianity have a face?

As Michael said, Jesus came as a tangible representation of God for us. But now that responsibility has passed to us, to you and I as Christians, as Christ’s church.

Christianity is a global, Goliath of a religion with no face… or at least the face seems hidden. Can you and I become that face, that person who shows others that Christianity is not a company, not an ideology? Can you and I make it real?

I have friends who hate Christianaity almost as much as I hated Thomas Nelson. I hope through me they learn to hate it a little less… or at least feel the humanity of it.

I love what Paul said:

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” -2 Corinthians 5:20

Serving Suggestions:

(1) First off, if you work for Thomas Nelson or know someone who does, I’d love for you guys to start rockin’ some decent Bible covers. I’m not talking about stylishness here – I’m talking about not-fall-apartness. (To be fair, I haven’t had any experience with the covers since 2007. Let me know if I’m wrong and they’re fantastic now.)

(2) For regular readers, check out Michael Hyatt’s blog. Do you get a better feeling for Thomas Nelson by reading it? How? Why?

(3) Don’t worry – I’m not going to leave you hanging too long. I’m working on a post about how, in practical terms, you and I can help humanize Christianity for the world. For now, how do you feel about it? How are you already doing it? How could you and I do it better?