A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (February 22, 2015)
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. (James 1:27, NLT)
Our current Presidential candidates are often characterized as establishment or non-establishment. That somehow sparked a recollection in me of something Jesus taught us in the scriptures, and what He showed us as He walked this Earth, about two different ways to minister to people. The scripture says that first comes the natural and then the spiritual:
However that which is spiritual was not first, but that which is natural, and afterward that which is spiritual. (1 Corinthians 15:46)
In our families, we take care of our small children until such point as they can start taking care of themselves. The natural things like feeding, clothing, protecting, and nurturing always comes first. Jesus would often ask people what they had need of before He ministered to them. The feeding of the five thousand is a great example of Jesus feeding the people before He preached to them (Matthew 14). That was a picture of the natural first and then the spiritual.
Many socially aware businesses are now incorporating in their business platforms social elements that include feeding the hungry, assisting the unfortunate, etc., which is very good. The scriptures tell us that undefiled religion is helping the orphans and widows.
As good as these social aspects are, and as much as they agree with the Word of God, they are just one element of a two prong Heavenly formula that makes this entire process complete. Without the second element, we end up with a very short sighted and temporary fix. That second element is the “Spiritual”. The spiritual brings the “Eternal” into the process which fuels the long game and opens the windows of Heaven.
The scriptures are replete with teachings of the visible vs. the invisible and it always instructs us to do the visible but at the same time keep focused on the things above which are invisible and eternal:
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (Colossians 3:2)
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)
For all the social entrepreneurs out there, we salute you!! At the same time, we encourage you to not forget the spiritual. The social aspects are more visible and more acceptable to the public. The sowing of the spiritual often comes with spiritual warfare and resistance, but it comes with eternal rewards as well as earthly rewards. The people you feed only natural food will not necessarily be in Heaven with you. The people that you feed natural and spiritual food will be your neighbors and your rewards in Heaven. You can count on that!!!
First the natural (social short game), then the spiritual (eternal long game). Together, you have a real winner!!!
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15)
