SELF-UNDERSTANDING AND SERVICE

In some circles it would be accepted wisdom that our ‘self’ is the most important value in the world. You can probably think of advertisements that feed on that idea.

In other places, even thinking about ‘self’ is considered heretical.

Biblically, we are encouraged to think about ourselves, but to do so soberly, with sound assessment, and in a way that does not artificially elevate ourselves (see Romans 12:3 for example). But this can be hard to do.  We seem to be drilled into the idea that our daily habits should be busy and should be focused on controlling all the outcomes of life towards a stress-free and struggle-free existence.

This, of course, is very demanding. That is because achieving such a goal would require controlling all of life, and the job of running the universe is huge. But that job is also already taken – thank you, God!

So, how are we to juggle this tension between having a realistic view of self while not succumbing to the temptation to make it ‘all about me’?

The Apostle Paul (in Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase) continues to give excellent practical wisdom:

Be very sure now, you who have been trained to a self-sufficient maturity, that you enter into a generous common life with those who have trained you, sharing all the good things that you have and experience.

7-8 Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. [Galatians 6:6-8]

Notice the recognition of the opposing forces in this section of Paul’s letter – there is, on one hand, “self-sufficient maturity” which leads to “ignoring the needs of others”. Here there is an important secret about human nature being exposed. When we focus too much on ‘self’, we may ‘feel’ more established and secure in ourselves, but the results lead to hardening ourselves towards others and towards God.

The contrast is to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into helping others. That is what we are made for. That is the real freedom we have through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

We can therefore ask: How do our students see this in what they learn, and in how they learn it, with us?

 

Regards,
Stephen J Fyson