FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS - PART 2: BE DISTINCT IN THE CROWD

(8-minute read)

Jesus used the concept of seeds to help people visualize the potency and power of life that He has given His followers so that they would make a visible difference in their relationships and communities (Mark 4:26-32). Our gardens are the places where God has positioned us to live, work and flourish. So, if God has given you some mustard seeds to plant in your garden, would you hold them back because you feel unsure about the goodness of the grounds and insecure about your ability to plant seeds?

Today, there are many believers who normalize being isolated in closed in-groups to avoid being ‘contaminated’ by secularism. They struggle to accept normative generational and cultural shifts, and as a result of their close-mindedness, they are estranged and disconnected from mainstream society. Instead of standing out in the crowd as a positive life force, they actively avoid the very communities that they are to sow their God-given seeds. They prefer structured outreach programmes over making personal connections, and separate themselves from anyone in the ‘crowd’ who are different from them. They have no problem being charitable to those in less fortunate situations, and to be seen as being more ‘blessed’ than the people they help. But with those whom they are called to build deeper relations, they rarely allow God’s seeds to germinate in any enduring way.

Surely, this does not describe you.

Malachi 3:18 reminds us about the importance of making a distinction in how we live our lives, “And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”

The late pastor and theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was on point when he opined, “Your life as a Christian should make non-believers question their disbelief in God.” Technological, scientific and medical advances may create new knowledge, but they don’t create new humans.

In 1 Peter 4:7, the apostle Peter alluded to the imperative of timing for embracing all our God-given opportunities and purposes. He asserted, “The end of all things is near.” For such a time as this, we should be distinct in the crowd, not disappear from or into the crowd. It is about engaging people as Jesus Himself would – always making new connections and deepening existing ones with people, including those who have very different backgrounds, talents and personalities. 

Make no mistake that we are living in the last days. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we have an ability to stand out in a crowd and not merely blend into obscurity. We have been redeemed by the Blood of Jesus and we have unique Kingdom values. But what will make you and I stand out?.

1. LOVE ONE ANOTHER WITHOUT BARRIERS

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (1 Peter 4:8-9)

“Above all” puts the emphasis on every believer to set aside all differences to demonstrate love towards one another. We may be different in terms of our life chances, life circumstances, life experience, and unique giftings, but the Bible has only one type of love for all kinds of people. It may not feel like the most intuitive thing to do, but we must make every effort to overcome inertia and any innate resistance that stands in the way. 

Peter had singled out ‘hospitality’ because he was living in times when it was hazardous for people to host the disciples in their homes due to the widespread hostility towards them. In today’s context, being hospitable includes not only discreetly inviting people into the private space where we live, but also to be receptive towards the young, the old, and everything in between that makes people different. Meeting people only in group settings deprives us of the valuable insights to be gleaned about the invisible fences and walls in our lives that keep people out. Look at the contacts on your smartphone – how many people do you see who are of a different generation, a different walk of life, a different ethnicity, and even a different belief system? 

So what is a healthy kind of love? “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:7). This sounds like a tall order but God does not want us to forget this attribute, action and attitude for followers of Jesus Christ. Peter argued that because through Christ, believers have the capacity for healthy and sincere love for each other, we should “love each other deeply with all (our) heart” (1 Peter 1:22b, NLT). Eugene Peterson’s translation (MSG) makes Peter’s instruction even more compelling, “love one another as if your lives depended on it.” 

When we procrastinate, minimize someone’s needs, become emotionally detached from another person’s lived realities, we are creating barriers that cause us to miss opportunities for delivering a human touch in a timely way even when it is within our means to do so. 

To be sure, Jesus did not set a high bar that is beyond our reach. In fact, He referred to the most practical things we can do for each other, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me… I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:35-36, Matthew 25:40). 

We are all recipients of the lavish and unconditional love of Jesus - given without any barriers and even led Him to the Cross. Freely we have received, freely we give. God is closer when we love one another because His love is the spiritual oxygen that we need from each other.

2. SERVE ONE ANOTHER WITHOUT HOLDING BACK

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10)

Whenever we downplay our gifts and talents, it is not humility but a great hindrance to making Kingdom impact. It is even more disturbing when we downplay our self-worth. Any fear of comparison or looking bad to others should immediately be dealt with because such prideful anxieties do not come from God.  

James 1:17 (NIV) reminds us that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” Some people may feel that their gifts are not sufficiently developed to be used yet but our gifts are always ready for use in serving others and nothing should be off limits. 

It is also important for us to be aware of the influence of cultural impediments that hold us back from serving others in spontaneous ways. We may be brought up to feel uncomfortable with taking risks and offering unsolicited comfort and support to others. Always assuming that it is not our place to step in without being asked, we choose instead to prioritize others’ privacy over approaching with empathy. Within faith communities where the reliance on God is emphasized, we may also withhold doing good because of the bystander effect; we would rather wait and see how God would intervene instead of stepping in to help. 

Empathy is a powerful force against all excuses that hold us back from using whatever gifts we have to serve others. God’s grace will ensure that whatever we use to serve others will be adequate to meet their needs.

3. TOTAL DEPENDENCE ON GOD

If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:11)

We must believe that God is pleased with any initiatives we take in service to others in order to build lives and relationships. Indeed, we can start anywhere because “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3). Every time we say we are not good enough, we are contradicting God’s Word. This means that whatever we do in service to others counts for God.

We cannot delude ourselves into thinking that greater access to knowledge will improve human lives. The world cannot get better when godlessness, self-centredness and lawlessness are becoming more acceptable than God-centredness.

So the next time you are with an acquaintance, a friend or a family member, don’t just stay safe on superficial conversations and dance around difficult topics. Lean closer to show that you care. Deal with your own discomfort with uncomfortable topics. We do not serve others out of self-confidence but out of a total dependence on God so that when we speak – we speak His very word – to comfort and restore hope. When we serve – we are utilizing God’s resources in our lives to meet real needs, and not to indulge in unhealthy dependencies. All our God-given gifts are to be used and channelled in such a way that they reflect God’s divine origin and purpose in people’s lives! 

We are indeed living in unprecedented times in human history. This is not a time to lie low but to be distinct in the crowd – as visible as mustard trees that stand distinct from the others, and that draw life and communities to them.  

This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR Session held on 12 October 2024.