Horizontal

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10

An image of something horizontal is someone lying down. That’s not the picture God had in mind when He instructs us to live together in community. There is no “lying down” instruction in the Bible.

The first four books of the New Testament have a vertical emphasis – one that makes us spiritually aware of God through His Son.

The rest of the New Testament has a horizontal focus.  It is about how our faith plays out on earth with family, friends and community.  In other words, how we are to interact with each other.

The pandemic has caused our social interaction to be turned upside down due to social distancing, quarantines and lockdowns.  Many are searching for how they can continue to minister to others.

The next generation are frightened and fearful of their circumstances. Some are turning to spiritual things like prayer. In a WSJ article on prayer, a 26 year old woman said: “there is so much uncertainty right now and so little in my power.”

“Dear Lord,” she began, “Help me to stay grounded and grateful in stressful times. Show me how I can be of most service to you and others.”

That’s a prayer every Christian should be praying right now.  It is powerful and humble.

There is a lot of biblical instruction on ways we can be of service to God and others.  The list below came from the margins of my bible where I wrote “o/a” (short for “One Another”) in the margin of a passage:

• Love one another.  John 13:34-35, Galatians 5:14
• Wash one another’s feet.  John 13:14
• Encourage one another.  Hebrews 3:13, 10:24-25, 1 Thess. 5:11 and 4:18
• Pray for one another. James 5:16
• Honor one another. Romans 12:10
• Be devoted to one another.  Romans 12:10.
• Build up one another.  Romans 14:19, 1 Thess. 5:11; Ephesians 4:29
• Serve one another.  Galatians 5:13
• Teach and admonish one another.  Colossians 3:16
• Be concerned for one another.  1 Corinthians 12:25
• Confess your sins to one another.  James 5:16
• Don’t judge one another.  Romans 14:13
• Carry one another’s burdens.  Galatians 5:13
• Submit to one another.  Ephesians 5:21
• Forgive one another.  Colossians 4:13
• Comfort one another.  2 Corinthians 6:12
• Do not provoke one another. Galatians 5:26
• Be kind to one another.  1 Thessalonians 5:15; 2 Corinthians 6:12
• Do not cause another to stumble. 1 Corinthians 10:32
• Live in harmony with one another.  Romans 12:16
• Accept one another. Romans 15:7
• Be kind and compassionate with one another. Ephesians 4:32
• Bear with and forgive one another. Colossians 3:13
• Spur one another on to love and good deeds.  Hebrews 10:24
• Do not slander one another. James 4:11
• Do not grumble against one another. James 5:9
• Offer hospitality to one another. 1 Peter 4:9
• Clothe yourself with humility to one another. 1 Peter 5:5
• Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and songs of the Spirit. Ephesians 5:16
• Be generous to others. Luke 11:41

From the Old Testament:

• Sharpen one another.  Proverbs 27:17
• Do not deceive one another.  Leviticus 19:11
• Do not envy one another.  Ecclesiastes 4:4
• Show mercy and compassion to one another.  Zechariah 7:9
• Be faithful to one another (marriage).  Malachi 2:10

These are timeless instructions that can be adapted to any new technology, even during a pandemic.  My friend, Ada Babajide, started a trauma ministry using WhatsApp because she felt there was a need to help those who have experienced trauma in their lives, marriages or from abuse.

She had to start a second session when 300 people signed up and she can only handle 125 at a time. Her trauma ministry “checks” many of the “One Another” boxes above. She authors a well written daily devotional as part of her ministry.

Another friend, Samsunder Singh, lives in Chennai, India. His Christian school has been closed. I recently sent him a small amount of money to support him during the lockdown.  He used the bulk of it to provide food for twelve pastors and their families as well as some of his students who didn’t have enough money to eat.

Sam is a prime example of generosity in a time of need, even though his own personal needs have gone unmet.  Thinking of others first is what Sam does every day.

Yesterday, I got a phone call from someone I know, but not very well. He said that he wanted to help others in need but couldn’t find a way to do that.

A friend told him to call me. He had no idea of who I was helping.  I met with him and he gave me a check, admitting that he really wasn’t sure why he was doing this. He just wanted to help others.

He did it anonymously, and didn’t want his name revealed. His gift will be well stewarded to those who need it. I was blown away.

Of course,  mentoring is a means of serving others, particularly the next generation who are struggling.  Tony Evans said it this way:  “Mentoring is not an option; it is a necessity.”

Serving others has a lot of variables.  The role of a mentor is to help a mentee find his purpose in life – what God intended for that individual.  It is truly iron sharpening iron.

MENTOR TAKEAWAY:  Helping the next generation serve is a matter of matching them to what God intended for them. A mentor’s role is to encourage them to be the best they can be in service to others.

FURTHER READING:  The Science of Prayer – WSJ

Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life – by Bob Goff

WORSHIP:  God, You’re So Good  – Passion

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