Winning at Monopoly

monopoly (mə•nop'ə•lē) noun 1. the exclusive possession or control of the means to produce or supply of a commodity or service … 4. exclusive possession or control

For an eight-year-old playing a board game, Monopoly is defined by pewter tokens, an extra turn on doubles, and acquiring matching colored cards. Getting ahead comes by bold use of assets, and "share the wealth" means you pay me to come on my property. The satisfaction of winning comes when I prevail over everything that others once owned and build up a monopoly.

At least that's how I describe it to my eight-year-old. The only version he knows is Bibleopoly. He still gets extra turns on doubles and acquires those matching colored cards, but "share the wealth" means I'm offering what I have so we can both build churches. You can get ahead by reciting John 3:16 or naming 15 out of 24 Bible cities. Satisfaction comes in choosing the space to which you send another player, with an opportunity to take away or give.

So the child of a thousand questions and I roll dice and talk about absolute control, and about the One with exclusive possession and control of everything. And we realize that sovereign and omnipotent God is both a monopoly and the opposite of a monopoly. Our Lord is securely in control, yet also releases control to us in liberal provision of both free will and free access to His power—a downright dangerous combination when you really think about it.

"And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.' "
~ Luke 15:31, Parable of the Prodigal Son (NKJV)

The prodigal son's father no doubt knew the character of his impudent son when handing over the inheritance. However disappointed the father, it surely came as no surprise that his younger son quickly made off with his newfound fortune and soon lost it. Shouldn't a good father have acted more sensibly?

And yet our good Father has a liberal hand with His careless children.

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
~ John 1:16 (NKJV)

To be sure, access to unlimited power doesn't equal use of unlimited power any more than an electrical outlet enables use of the entire power grid. I can connect to the entire source of electricity, but I'm enabled to handle only as much as my electrical lines can transmit and my electrical gadget can translate.

God's Holy Spirit does not enable anything or everything we ask. The Holy Spirit always acts in accordance with God's will, and He operates more fully and freely in the soul more fully and freely given over to Him rather than the soul filled with self-will. But our Lord does bestow spiritual gifts—valuable gifts with spiritual power of their own—to sons and daughters who don't always use them wisely.

"… for God does not give the Spirit by measure."
~ John 3:34 (NKJV)

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
~ Romans 11:29 (NKJV)

However we might misuse or bury our spiritual gifts, our Father doesn't take them back. Whatever childish way we ask to use either spiritual gifts or temporal gifts, our Father doesn't cut off our access to the power He shares with us.

By His grace, and patience, and the ministry of His Holy Spirit, God brings us to the place where we utilize His power not only to prevail over demonic serpents (toward the day of a spiritual monopoly), but also in building the Kingdom we are destined to inherit.

"I have given you power to tread serpents and scorpions underfoot, and to trample on all the power of the Enemy; and in no case shall anything do you harm. Nevertheless rejoice not at this, that the spirits submit to you; but rejoice that your names are registered in Heaven."
~ Luke 10:19-20 (WNT)

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Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Change, Part II: Purpose and Place

Numerous changes are going on in my life. Three days of posts (yesterday, today, tomorrow) will share them with you.

"The purpose of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
~ Westminster Catechism

Though this creed is not quoted from a Bible verse, it is entirely consistent with the whole of Scripture. I'd go so far as to say the purpose of God might be to glorify Himself and bring mankind to enjoy Him forever.

The goal above all goals, stated yesterday, is to become more like Jesus. The nature of Christ is to glorify the Father and enjoy Him, and thus the goal achieves the purpose.

Can we hope to obtain greater satisfaction than in achieving a goal which brings us to fulfill our purpose?

Toward these ends, the Lord entrusts us with gifts and talents. If such blessings are either squandered or buried, we may expect from our Master the due punishment for wasting what is precious. If we wisely utilize our gifts and talents, we are assured of a reward commensurate with our efforts. (Matthew 25:14-30)

To invest our blessings for temporal reward is to waste them. The only sure investment is to place our blessings where they reap spiritual returns.

My personal ministry is to edify the saints—to "build up the body of Christ." I aspire to do so with the gifts God has given me by speaking truth with love in a spirit of Christian unity, and by extending comfort and counsel where I encounter trouble and trial. I've been told I have a gift for such things—that these are my strengths.

But now, after many changes, I find I am weak.

For God made my heart weak,
And the Almighty terrifies me.
~ Job 23:16 (NKJV)

The more a person learns about a particular discipline, the easier one expects the discipline to become.

Not so for walking with God.

When I started walking with Jesus and began to comprehend the depth of my sin, my ambition became to grow out of it. I think I've been subconsciously waiting for a plateau which allows a rest from spiritual climbing. But the climb has become steeper and more arduous, filled with pitfalls, finally taxing the remnant of my strength.

I have wanted to lie down and rest, believing I have no more strength from which to minister. In confusing ministry and goals and purpose, I've even questioned if my gifts are exhausted.

I find instead that I have a deeper well of comfort from which to counsel. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) Having been broken by trial, I feel more acutely the anguish of the broken-hearted. The quality of my mercy is richer for those who are oppressed. I speak more fluently to despair now that I have been plunged beneath its murky waters.

Did I truly expect that I a spiritual walk would bring me to a place of strength, where I need God less? I have instead arrived at the place of weakness, where I know I need Him all the more.

I do not like being in the place where I am weak.

But God says such a place fulfills my purpose.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."
~ 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)

Amen, Lord. So be it.

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Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Promise

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets
even as Michelangelo painted,
or Beethoven composed music,
or Shakespeare wrote poetry.
He should sweep streets so well that all the
hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say,
'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.' "
~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Every man and woman, boy and girl has a gift and a place to use that gift for the Lord's kingdom. Whatever the body of believers in Jesus Christ lacks, it lacks because someone has not been enfolded into the body, empowered by the Word, and encouraged with our words.

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him... do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.
~ Colossians 3:17,23 (NKJV)

Every person, every word and deed—however distinguished or humble—holds promise for glorifying God.

Lord, please give Your people this day a new appreciation for diversity of people and diversity of gifts which crosses all lines of denomination, race, gender, status, and age.

Comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments, or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.