Dis-Interested
Well we have now had our first snowfall of the season! It is always nice to get that out of the way -- in October! I guess it is time to settle in, heat up some hot chocolate, put up those Christmas trees ... oh wait, not quite yet.
I wanted to think for just a moment about our interests or better yet our dis-interest. In our modern times it is quite common for people to pursue their own interests. I will look out what is best for me. You look out what is best for you. The problem is, with everyone looking to their own interests, there is the frequent butting of heads and no one to look after the common interests of families, churches, societies, etc... Something has to give or everything will explode. Who will look after the common interests?
According to Nancy Pearcy* that was what authority is for. Chronicling the colonial era, Pearcy says the following about the use of authority, “A person who occupied a position of authority was called to sacrifice his own ambition to advance the good of the whole. To use a favorite word from the colonial era, (they) were to be “disinterested”, which means not pursuing (their) own interests. “ This of course is right in line with the call of the scripture to “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3–4)”
Last week we got a whiff of how this is to work in a marriage patterned after Christ and the church. The husband lays down his life for the betterment of his wife. The wife in turn, submits herself out of love for her husband and for the glory of Christ. This week the theme is taken up again with children and parents. In the Lord, children are called to obey and honor their parents, while parents are to instruct and disciple their children in ways that honor and do not provoke them. The only way that we can do any of this is to have the mind of Christ. In Philippians 2 (quoted above) Paul urges believers to look to the interests of others by having “this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5).” Note that what is demanded is also provided. In order to have a household (husbands, wives, parents, children) that is properly disinterested we will need the mind of Christ. But thanks be to God, that mind is ours in Christ Jesus!
I know this is a little high level and some may say not practical enough for the day-to-day, but we have to make a start somewhere. I do look forward to digging into Ephesians 6:1-4 with you more closely on Sunday. Also Sunday we will have in our fellowship Dr. Scott Jones, OT Professor from Covenant College. Dr. Jones is in town for another event, but has agreed to lead a combined adult institute for us on the constitution of the Psalter and what it might mean for us practically.
* I definitely recommend this latest book by Pearcy The Toxic War on Masculinity, How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes