Choosing to Be a Slave

S (Scripture)

(Titus 1:1-4) Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior; to Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

O (Observation)

Such a long, thoughtful introduction! Paul starts by re-introducing himself, as though the reminder was as much for himself as it was for Titus. Being aware of one's identity is always a relevant consideration.

Paul first identified himself as God's servant (slave), then as Jesus Christ's apostle (sent one). Having been so highly called and commissioned, that begged the question: Why? God's answer was that He sent Paul for the well-being, for the sake of the Church's faith and knowledge of Truth. How? When God's timing was perfectly completed, He sent Paul so Paul's preaching of the Gospel and his obedience to God's commands would cause God's eternal life to be revealed. That joy, then pressed Paul to comment on the father-son link he shared with Titus, a better family bond than what mere biological paternity bonds can only mimic at best (how awesome when the family bond is both spiritual and biological). As if that wasn't enough, Paul brought them back to to the source of this joy: grace and peace from the most benevolent Father-Son team ever.

A (Application, Personal)

As Paul matured in his faith, he described himself more frequently in terms of utter service to other people--as being indebted to everyone. Because He served God, he considered himself everyone's slave, yet without placing their authority over God's. Nonetheless, for Paul, being an apostle of Jesus Christ didn't conflict with being a voluntary slave. As a friend told me, the way to know whether you're a servant or not is whether people treat you like a servant. Do people just expect me to serve them? That, Steve, would be a good thing if they did. Hmmmm ... does my family see me as a servant? What about the people I work with or for? How about the people who live near me? My enemies?

A (Application, Psychological)

It's interesting that being a servant of Jesus Christ may well involve the same work ("duties") that slaves begrudgingly do. Jesus delivered the Ancient Hebrews from oppressive Egyptian taskmasters, yet He also sent Paul (and many others) into voluntary service that often included humble labor and sometimes even oppressive conditions. It reminds me of a couples I've counseled where one person felt trapped and overburdened with some of the relational or household "duties" (tasks necessary for the maintenance and well-being of homes or relationships)... yet these very same duties, if done with voluntary love, would be (or could be) a source of great delight. Our attitudes, motives, and beliefs are capable of turning transforming our work into miserable slavery just as effectively as it can turn it into honorable, satisfying service.

P (Prayer)

Lord, You said You reward the labor of all who serve others when we do it as unto You. As You've revealed through Your Word, I see that I can still serve You even if my "masters" don't serve You at all. I am so grateful that my fellow workers and bosses (which includes my family) are true joys to work for. Maybe they're great people. Or maybe this joy has simply been my reward from You for serving them as though I were serving You. Frankly, You've blessed me so much, it's hard to figure out why ... but I'm very grateful!

Exodus: The Great Existentialist Manifesto (and Practical Parental Priorities)

S

(Exodus 3:6-10) And [God] said, "I am the God of your father[s] ..." Then the Lord said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey ... Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."

O

In this text, God addresses what have become the great existential questions that organize humans collectively and propel humans individually. Astutely, existentialist Yalom (1980) summarized these into four definitive and ultimate issues, which collectively are themes that function as intra- and inter-personal governors. These are (1) Death, which includes lifes anxieties and limits; (2) Freedom, which includes responsibility and willing action, (3) Isolation, and (4) Meaninglessness. Within all people, these are ubiquitous imperatives (Tillich, 1952).

Regarding the issue of Death--God dismissed it. He identified Himself as the eternal "I Am." He is the present Father for past, present, and future generations even though their earthly parents (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) appeared to have ceased to exist (see also Matthew 22:32, Exodus 3:13-14). Regarding Freedom, God created space to share it. Despite the cruel restrictions of their Egyptian taskmasters, God eternally extended to that generation (as He does with each generation) an invitation to experience life in His presence--including all the responsibilities and privileges associated with freedom. Regarding Isolation, God denied it. Because of their circumstances, Israel believed they were alone, unheard, unseen, uncared for--they were not. Regarding Meaninglessness, God created splendor, power, and beauty out of the chaotic void of emptiness that seemed to be defining their existence.

A (Personal)

From having read the whole of God's Word, I know that I have been adopted into God's family even though--like a wild, unfruitful branch that was grafted into a healthy tree--I didn't come with any personal merits ... or so I thought. What I have also come to learn, though, is that by experiencing God's presence, by being barefoot and sensitive to His holiness and goodness, I learn that I, like anything or anyone else, have value. God creates value in my soul. God is, indeed, the "God and Father of mercies, the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings" (2 Corinthians 3:2-11). He is the eternal I AM.

A (Psychological)

Play therapists seem to have gotten more than their fair share of insights into how humans work. Unlike adults, whose natural medium of communication is through language, children's natural medium of organizing and figuring out the world is through their natural, spontaneous, enjoyable, voluntary, and non-goal-oriented play. God made children so that in their creative process of playing, they, as Garry Landreth wrote, "learn to live in our symbolic world of meanings and values, at the same time exploring and experimenting and learning their own individual ways" (Play Therapy, 2002, p. 10).

Interestingly parallel to Exodus 3, Landreth (p 204-206) wrote that the play therapist's primary responsibility in the therapeutic relationship can be summarized in four healing messages, which therapists should work hard to communicate at all times--not just in words but in his or her total person:

1. I AM HERE (Nothing will distract me. I will be fully present physically, mentally, and emotionally.)


2. I HEAR YOU. (I will listen fully with my ears and eyes to everything about the child, what is expressed and what is not expressed.)


3. I UNDERSTAND. (I want the child to know that I understand what he or she is communicating, feeling, experiencing, and playing ... the inner depth and meaning of the child's experience ... and that I am still accepting this child.)


4. I CARE. (I really do care about this little person and I want her or him to really know that. If these first three messages are clearly perceived, the therapist will not be perceived as a threat and will be permitted into the child's world.)

P

Lord, so often my world makes no sense and seems way beyond my ability to control or direct. I can't put into words how safe I feel--how comforted I am--by Your presence, knowing that you are ever present for me. You truly strain to listen for my voice. You delight in understanding how I see and how I distortedly view my life ... and despite all that (who knows, perhaps even because of all that), You truly care for me. Amazing. Thank You. I remove my protective shoes before You so I can be increasingly sensitive to where You want me to be and what You want me to do. Amen!

Uber-Manly

S

(1 Corinthians 16:13,14) Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

O

When instructed to act like men, "men" is not the generic term anthropos, which connotes human and is inclusive of males and females. Instead, men (andrizomai) is from aner, which is specifically male or husband. So, a paraphrase of Paul's instruction the the entire Corinthian church could read: (1) be awake (gregoreuo), alert, and on prayerful guard-duty; (2) be stationary (stethos), pursevere in joining yourselves into the full benefits of relating to Jesus and all that His kingdom offers; (3) be an idealized version of men--like a good husband or father or brother in the best sense of that concept; (4) be people who grow stronger (krataioo) while invigorating and empowering others; and in summary, as if to make sure these Corinthians rise to the fullness of being sanctified and redeemed in Christ, (5) be guided and governed by God's love (agape), the Great Liberator.

A (Personal)

Reading these instructions is like becoming drunk with hope: could my life really be this good? Is this really how God sees me and how He has designed me to be? Are these words useable as directions for working out how I relate to people today and how I arrange my tasks? Is God' design for me really achievable? With practice in this godliness, that's exactly who I'm becoming. This is tremendous!

A (Psychological)

Elliott Rosen (contributing to Carter and McGolderick's book The Expanded Family Life Cycle, 1999) describes the earliest roots American "maleness" as typified in the "oedipal revolt of the Sons of Liberty against Father England." He said that American men have always had anxiety about gender, that our eighteenth century descriptor, "self-made man" was a primary category by which men try to define themselves. He even goes so far as to define homophobia not as a fear of homosexuals but a universal fear of other men. Instead, he says that men don't fear women but they fear being ashamed or humiliated in front of other men or being dominated by other men. This dilemma of male identity is greatly pronounced, he says, in the Black men, who, with their legacy of slavery and oppression, have been faced with the agonizing task of reclaiming manhood that was stolen from them as part of their initiation into America. This task, I suggest, is more universal than we might suspect (without diminishing the injustices that various subgroups of humanity have suffered). In Christ, we are all discovering the new creation that we can all become in Christ, liberated from the fear and oppression that sin-filled people have imposed on each other.

P

Lord, I know that in You there is neither male nor female, but the best of both (Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 1:22,23; 2 Corinthians 5:17). I know that "stationary and stand" suggest resistance to whom You want me to be, just as "strong" suggests habits of incompetence ... but I have so much to be thankful for. These thing also suggest the changes You are creating in me and the resources You've made available to bless me with. As I look, today, to enjoy loving and trusting You, help me to be alert to the opportunities You provide for me to be the new man that I am in You.

Uniting a Cast of Thousands

S

(Titus 2:15-3:3) Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no on disregard you. Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

O

Scholar-imposed chapter and verse breaks--as convenient as they are--blur the author's stream of thought. Paul gave Titus these 11 strikingly dissimilar directives as one continuous thought. Outsiders reading his letter might think Paul advocated Titus becoming a multi-personality leader. The end of chapter 2 directs Titus to act like (what culture might call) an alpha male: "Declare, exhort, rebuke ... with all authority." That is followed immediately by directing him to be, culturally speaking, a beta female: "Be submissive ... obedient ... ready for every good work ... never speaking evil ... never quarreling, always gentle, always perfectly courteous." Evidently, the Holy Spirit is shattering our cultural notions of proper masculinity and femininity: both ideals are required for both sexes, without diminishing the strength and majesty of either.

A (Psychological)

Through years of work as a psychotherapist, R Schwartz developed what he calls the Internal Family Systems Model (IFS). I summarize it this way: each person is a composite of subpersonalities each with its own viewpoint, qualities, perspective, interests, goals, and memories. Each part has a positive motive to protect the person from pain, even though its method creates dysfunction. Jay Earley said, “You can think of [these subpersonalities] as little people inside us…. We all have parts like the inner critic, the abandoned child, the pleaser, the angry part, and the loving caretaker.” The IFS solution is to unite these enough to create a working, trusting relationship with this “internal family system;” thereby, creating a whole self.

IFS recognizes three subpersonality types: Managers, Exiles, and Firefighters. In their extreme roles, they create dysfunction: (1) Managers act preemptively and authoritatively to protect self from the external pain of other people or the internal pain of the other subpersonalities—primarily the Exile. (2) Exiles have been wounded by unresolved trauma, shame, and fear (often from childhood, but not exclusively). Managers and Firefighters try to keep the Exile exiled (away from consciousness or influence). (3) Firefighters become active when Exiles demand attention. Firefighters distract self from Exile by engaging in impulsive behaviors like over-eating, over-drinking, stealing, worrying, fighting, or fornication; or they try to silence the Exile by using more acceptable distractions of over-working, over-meditating, or over-spiritualizing issues.

For some people, this psychological metaphor may help conceptualize the internal strife people experience. Interestingly, Paul’s letter, when read with “IFS glasses,” provides solutions for one’s internal manager, exile, and firefighter. Pretty amazing stuff!

A (Personal)

How can one person be such extremes of personality, whether it's an internal manager, exile, or firefighter (as Schwartz describes) or whether it's a powerful rebuker, a submitter to all authorities, or an ever-gracious and gentle encourager (as Paul directs)? Yet internally, we often swing between aggressor and victim, friend and foe, and disciplined and chaotic. Unfortunately, too, we often drag others into our dark moods and misdirected exhortations. The answer I've found is moving deeper into Christ's love. He models the perfection of all subpersonalities within each of us while He heals us: "For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us ..." (Titus 3:3-4).

P

Wonderful Savior, when I feel weak and exiled, restore my strength and be My Redeemer. When I am wounded, be my healer comforter. When I am strong, temper that with Your humility. When I am with others who need Your presence, help me to be to them what they need from You so they might recognize Your love sooner.