Habitat for Humanity devotions... Part 2

hmmm.. I can't actually remember all that clearly what I said. But I know I wanted to include a short Bible verse here, and to make it clear that Christians do what they do because of Jesus's example..

Part 2

So yesterday we touched on one reason why Habitat does what it does: because it is based on the Bible's teaching that all people are created in the image of God. But on the Habitat website, a more important reason is given: Habitat's ministry is based on the conviction that to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, we must love and care for one another.

Now that's all wishy-washy - What does it mean to love one another? Fortunately, the Bible gives us an answer. In 1 John 3:16, it is written

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

Now, I've heard before that Christians tend to separate spiritual religion with material reality, and that they don't care about helping others and being involved in social action. But here we see that our beliefs should change the way we act. We are urged to be involved and serve others.

On the other hand, it's also clear here why Habitat calls itself a Christian organization, and not just a 'social change' or 'humanitarian' organization. It's because Habitat's actions have been motivated by Jesus' death on the cross and what He's already done by serving us.

Habitat for Humanity devotions... Part 1

With the first devotion, I used a quote from the founder of Habitat that talked about his motivation for helping others, in order to ease the listeners into the devotions/ Christianity idea, and to make it relevant to them as members of Habitat for Humanity. I also explained a bit first about why we were doing the devotions, so that people wouldn't feel that they'd been tricked into anything.

Part 1:

Habitat has an open-door policy: All who desire to be a part of this work are welcome, regardless of religious preference or background. We have a policy of building with people in need regardless of race or religion. We welcome volunteers and supporters from all backgrounds. However, Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit Christian organization, so every morning we're going to start off with a devotion or a reflection time thinking about Habitat and what we’re here to do.

Why are you here this week? Is it out of guilt 'How can I have so much when so many others are struggling?'. Is it to have fun, and make new friends? Or is it simply to help others because its right. If you feel the last way, it's really an expression of the fact that you're made in the image of God and made for community. The founder of Habitat for Humanity, Millard Fuller once said: “I see life as both a gift and a responsibility. My responsibility is to use what God has given me to help his people in need", illustrating the reason why Habitat sought to fill this need. It's because the Bible teaches that all people are created in the image of God, therefore have intrinsic value. that is why we are urged to help and care for others. So as we start building today, it'd be a good idea to just think through for yourself, why you're here and doing what you're doing.

Habitat for Humanity devotions

"Grace, don't you want to do the morning devotions?" the Habitat for Humanity vice-chair looked at me pointedly.

I shake my head vigorously. Noooo way.

For those of you who don't know, Habitat for Humanity International is a "nonprofit, ecumenical Christian organization, [...] dedicated to eliminating substandard housing and homelessness worldwide and to making adequate, affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action". So when the branch at my university recently held its weeklong International Student Build in the holidays, it meant someone had to do the morning devotions.. Me?

Sure, why not? I was someone who genuinely loved Jesus, pretty good at handling groups of people, and had been trained quite well in giving small talks at my church... But inside I was freaking out. No-one really knew it was a Christian organization, so the majority of the people coming probably wouldn't be Christian, and deep down I knew it was mostly 'cause I didn't want to be 'that' Christian girl.

But two weeks later, I find myself volunteering to take them. Despite my hesitation, I realized what an awesome opportunity this was (that is, after sharing my fears and being told to 'suck it up' a few times by my caring siblings and others). I also found it a good rebuke to be shown how much value I placed in human opinion, and not in God's.. Fear the Lord, not people.

So the challenge was this: to prepare five short devotions for a group of people who probably didn't know Jesus, and didn't care about the Christian roots of the organization they were helping on, being clear about Jesus, and also keeping it interesting and relevant. This is what I came up with...

Feelings are a theological nuisance... Or Not. Part 2

Like I've mentioned in earlier posts (see Holiness? How old fashioned or I'm only human or You can change but not...) I'm currently working my way through a book called You can Change that's helping me fight my idols. Dum dum dum.

What I haven't mentioned that one of my idols is that of academic success. Now, for those of you who don't know me, I'm a bit of a geek, a nerd, someone who is very interested in what she studies, and therefore works very hard at it. With relatively good results. So one of the idols I'd created in her head was of getting one of the awesome scholarships or bursaries for overseas studies. So you can imagine the minor existential crisis I had when I found out that I hadn't gotten any calls for follow-up interviews. And coming as it did during a time of idol-smashing, I was already in a fragile state of mind, and even more frustrated and upset than I thought I would have been. There was much wailing. Even more, gnashing of teeth. But the chapter of You can Change that I read later that day put everything into an amusingly ironic light:

Why do we do the things we do? Why do we get angry, frustrated, irritable or depressed or, for that matter, happy, excited or content? Why do we lie, steal, fight and gossip? Why do we dream, fantasize, envy and plot? Why do we overwork and overeat?... (72)

Angry? Frustrated? Irritable? Depressed? Check, check, check, check, check. All of those described me at that moment.

And here's the answer:

According to the Bible, the source of all human behaviour and emotions is the heart (73).

Like Tim Chester points out, our feelings can therefore be used diagnostically to indicate whether our hearts are in the right place. For me, my overthetop reaction showed me clearly that my heart had made too much of this idol, believing that it was what I deserved and what I needed in my future. I should have, instead, been trusting in God's sovereignty, and His plan for my life, no matter how scary it may seem at times. Eek!

So Part 2 on Feelings would conclude: Feelings are a great theological tool for heart-diagnosis :)

What can I say at the end of this two-part thought? I leave you with the challenge of not being overwhelmed by your emotions, but using them to see if God is using them to point back towards Him, or if they can be used to show you about the state of your relationship with Christ.

Which is easy to say now when I'm sitting nice and cosy, happy in my bed, but it's another case when you're actually mad and fuming. Good luck with that ;)

Feelings are a theological nuisance... Or Not. Part 1

setting: a high-ceilinged church hall
occupants: a mix of students, dressed in summer clothes, with the odd jersey or cardigan here and there. Some are seated at long rows of tables, with plates of food in front of many, and empty plates in front of others. A few students are lounging on big couches in the one corner, while others are moving around in the kitchen, serving food to a handful of students that are queueing.

enter, one female student. pan to thoughts (yes, this is a super-awesome camera that can pan to thoughts).

Me: "Gosh, I'm glad I made it. Hmm.. Yeah. Maybe I should go say hi to.. Nah. Flip. Why hasn't anyone noticed that I'm here? Oh. Hmmm. Oh, there's a group of people I know. They seemed to be huddled in a tight conversation. Would be weird if I just barged in. Oh, So-and-so is looking at m.. Oh, no he's not. Oh. Okay. Maybe I should just go stand in the food queue. Okay. Oh, this sucks. Why do I always have to be the one that makes effort? Why can't other people make effort with me (flashbacks to events earlier in the week, to the music of Lord of The Rings, where said student is shown helping, meeting up with, encouraging other students). I've sacrificed so much for these people! Why are they just ignoring me??!?!? Me, me, me, look at me! Boohoo."

CUT!

So there I was. Finding myself unwanted and unloved. My feelings were grotesquely exaggerated after a long week of crazy events happening where I'd felt I'd given much of myself to my friends and fellow brothers and sisters-in-Christ. And having come late to a Bible study already feeling quite tired and weary, I felt particularly disheartened that, when no-one was reaching out to me.

But then! Epiphany! I realized that the way I felt ( i.e. used and betrayed by my friends), was exactly the way that God must have felt that week. He'd been the one sustaining me, making the sun to shine down upon me, blessing me with friends and food and health and shelter, and instead of acknowledging His work, I just ignored Him. I could just imagine God somewhere coming in through the door in my busy life, going "Me, me, me, look at me!" And I steadfastly refused to show any recognition of His presence.

Just in case those that aren't really into emotions or feelings suddenly think that I've been smoking crack, one only needs to read Hosea [in the Bible] to see the extent of the betrayal God feels when his people, Israel, run after other idols.

[Israel] said, 'I will go after my lovers,
who give me my food and my water,
my wool and my linen, my oil and my drink.'

Therefore I, [God] will block her path with thornbushes;
I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way.

She will chase after her lovers but not catch them;
she will look for them but not find them.
Then she will say,
'I will go back to my husband [God] as at first,
for then I was better off than now.'

She has not acknowledged that I was the one
who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil,
who lavished on her the silver and gold—
which they used for Baal (Hosea 2:5-8).

So what does this show about feelings? Well, what became clear in Part 1 was that feelings are powerful, and God sometimes uses this power to point us back at Him. I think this calls for a certain self-reflexivity, and (NB) this need not always be the case, but it can be.

Now let's turn to Part 2 for another example.

The post which started this all off can be found here: Feelings are a theological nuisance.

Feelings are a theological nuisance...

Feelings are a theological nuisance.

If I were to get a penny for every time I've heard this statement, I'd have a handful of useless old coins. (We use cents here in South Africa.) But every time I've heard it, I've thought: "Wow, that makes sense." Feelings, never mind whether they're in the theological context or not, can be completely misleading and confusing. Think, for example, of the times you were younger and hated your parents for being not getting you a pink pony for your birthday like you asked (instead, in their infinite wisdom, they gave you an encyclopedia). Sure, in your seven year old brain, you probably disliked your parents intensely at that point of time, but underneath it all, you knew loved them. But your feelings made you temporarily forget this as you stomped your little gangly legs and little pouty feet off to your bedroom.

(From the other side, I've also heard that sometimes parents feel as if they could kill their little angels. That don't necessarily mean naught. Luckily for us who have parents).

Or, rather, think of the last time you had PMS and you felt like riding over the woman who bought the last Lindt chocolate bar from the local supermarket. Rationally, you might have thought that letting out her tires was a bit much, but your feelings certainly didn't stop you. Right?

And exactly the same thing can happen with God. Sometimes we feel as if God's ignoring us. As if He doesn't love us anymore. As if He's never loved us. As if He doesn't care. But here's the thing. Our feelings have the ability to override and commandeer our mental states. And woah, feelings can be lank treacherous. And the problem is that we forget this and tend to trust our feelings and emotions instead of relying on God's Word and on his promises that He does love us, that He will never forsake us, and that He is always faithful and true.

But, I've been thinking about it, and maybe I've been too hasty in disregarding my feelings just like that. Check out the next few blogs...

You don't make me. God does.

I was having a lovely chat with my friend Pie the other day, talking about our value as humans, and she formulated her words in a way that was so illuminating that I thought I'd mention it here.

Pie noted how we sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that our value is directly linked to what people think of us, i.e. we are only cool, nice, lovely, wonderful, awesome if people say we are. Sure. We all think like this at one stage or another. That's why we so desperately want to conform and want to be accepted and liked by people.

But do you see the problem with this? Yeah.. 'Cause people aren't always the best judges of things. I mean, how many people listen to sokkie music and think it's awesome? I know I do, and I get ribbed about it the whole time [Some people have no taste. *sniff*]. Also, people are fickle and what's cool one moment, isn't the next. Case in point: the high-waisted jeans that were sooooooooooooo last year are in fact turning out to be so next year. [Go figure.] Additionally, just because people might think you're awesome, doesn't mean that they're going to tell you this. So you might drift through life never realizing your worth. Etcetc. Either way, I hope it's clear that if we really think about it, our practice of placing our sense of value on the opinions of people is kinda silly.

Instead, Pie said that we should see people's opinions of us as affirming or recognising our value, as opposed to giving us value. In other words: our value as human beings does not hinge on human opinion. Human opinion merely recognizes or affirms our value (or, if people are unkind, they fail to recognize or affirm as value). As people loved by a Heavenly Father who sent His only Son to die for those created in His image, we have intrinsic value independent of what people think of us. Rather, our value is dependent on what God has created and done.

Isn't that a relief. Now we can carry on listening to our sokkie music  :).