Step 1: We admitted that we were powerless over our dependencies-that our life had become unmanageable.

January 5, 2007

Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he wants to do in and through me will be done. Philippians 1:19 The Message

     Philippians is written by Paul. I’d recommend you take a moment and read the first chapter in this little book of the New Testament. You’ll recall that Paul, a devout Jew and Roman citizen (a lot of interesting implications packaged in those two truths), once lived for the purpose of persecuting Christians. He thought this was, as we say at NorthStar Community, “a God thing.” Then he had an amazing conversion experience (you can read about that in the book of Acts) and became a missionary and itinerant pastor.

     The man suffered for the cause. When he wrote Philippians he was facing trial in Rome. Depending on the outcome, execution was a distinct possibility. Paul, who experienced a wide range of plenty and poverty, health and hardship, knew about unmanageability and powerlessness first hand. It is from this kind of man that we can learn how to hope.

     The Greek word that Paul uses in this passage has been translated “generous response.” In other translations, “supply” and “help given” are among the words chosen. It’s an interesting word. According to Rick Renner’s book Sparkling Gems from the Greek (see January 2) the ancient word literally means “on behalf of the choir.” Huh? It helps to have Renner’s historical perspective. According to his research, this word (used only twice in scripture) came from a story of a miraculous supply. It seems that thousands of years ago, a huge choral and dramatic group worked endlessly to create a huge production in ancient Greece. Unfortunately, right before they were scheduled to put the show on the road, they ran out of money. Fortunately, a wealthy benefactor came forward and “supplied/gave help/ responded generously” – so much so that the contribution was considered overwhelming. The show went on.

     He makes two points in this study: 1. The actors had given their all and were completely powerless, without a single solitary resource of any kind. 2. The response of the benefactor was way over the top – excessively large – illogically generous.

     So when our monsters within raise their ugly heads and we feel powerless over our compulsions, when our circumstances seem beyond enduring and we believe we are without any apparent healthy choices, and even when our genetic history is questionable – we can know this: the Spirit that Jesus Christ is donating for our present cause is greater than all these limitations. So, as the sign over my desk reads, “Put your big girl (or boy) panties on and just deal with it.”

     No more excuses. No more power plays. Let’s just admit our powerless state, join that ancient choir in realizing our helplessness, and ask God to do what he does best – provide generously for the helpless, the hopeless and the oppressed.

Scripture reading for today: Genesis 26 – 29

Thought for today: One of the things that strikes me every year when I read through Genesis is the repetition of family sin. The sins of the fathers tend to show up in their children. The notable exceptions seem too few and far between for me to be too comfortable with my own baggage. It seems that the only thing I have to offer as an antidote to multi-generational sin patterns is willingness. Willingness to tell the truth about my own predispositions, willingness to be made willing, willingness to always say, and mean it, “I could be wrong.” Join me, won’t you?

Thought for tomorrow:

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. Romans 7:18-20 NIV

…everything he (Jesus) wants to do in and through me will be done. Philippians 1:19(b) The Message

Teresa McBean
January 5, 2007

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