Paraklesis. From, through and for him

Paraklesis  [‘encouragement’, ‘exhortation’, for life and ministry]

Dear friends and fellow-workers,

Near the end of Romans, Paul invites us to join him in wondering at God’s wisdom and knowledge.

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Romans 11.33-36

He has in mind the big picture of God’s saving work in Christ for all people and for all time. But let us pick up the words ‘from him and through him and for him are all things’, and apply these to our daily lives.

For it is so easy to forget that we live our daily lives and do our daily ministry before God, in the presence of God, by the grace and power of God, and for God’s approval and glory. How easily we slip into forgetting about God in the anxiety, busyness and distractions of our daily ministry duties!

‘From him and through him and for him’

‘From him …’

Reflection: 

You are ‘from him’, this day is ‘from him’, your energy is ‘from him’, this person is ‘from him’, this ministry is ‘from him’, this opportunity is ‘from him’, this moment is ‘from him’, your abilities and gifts are ‘from him’, these people are ‘from him’, this church is ‘from him’, this task, small or great, is ‘from him’, this job, mundane or momentous, is ‘from him’ …

‘Through him …’

Reflection:

You are kept alive today ‘through him’, you are able to function ‘through him’, you can relate to others ‘through him’, you can help people ‘through him’, you can do your daily tasks ‘through him’, you can thing reflect, remember and decide ‘through him’, you can love ‘through him’, you can serve ‘through him’, you can do your ministry ‘through him’, you can pray ‘through him’.

‘For him …’

Reflection:

  • Today you should live ‘for him’, serve ‘for him’, love ‘for him’, pray ‘for him’, serve ‘for him’, help people ‘for him’, do you daily tasks, mundane or momentous, ‘for him’, work ‘for him’, cooperate with others ‘for him’, forgive others ‘for him’, be patient ‘for him’, and respect others ‘for him’.
  • To live and relate to others and do our ministries ‘from him and through him and for him’ has many benefits!
  • It will increase our thanks to God, our trust, our hope our love, our praise, and our usefulness.
  • It will help us look to God alone for approval, and recognise God’s work in our achievements.
  • It will remind us of our God-given value, and give us a sober estimate of ourselves, delivering us from either pride in ourselves or our achievements or else discouragement about ourselves and our achievements.
  • It will remind us of our sins of life or ministry, and draw us to God’s forgiveness, grace and compassion in Christ Jesus.
  • It will help us to remember that we are in God’s hands all the time, and surrounded by his grace, gifts, and love.
  • It will help us look to God to shape us, our lives, our ministries, our self-perception, our attitudes, our actions, our relationships, our present and our future.
  • It will help us live each day before God our creator and sustainer; Jesus Christ our Saviour, Lord, example and judge; and Holy Spirit, who indwells us, transforms us, and empowers us.

Try living your day with this motto in mind: ‘From him, through him, and for him’. 

As you begin each new task, remember [and say] : ‘From him, through him, and for him”.


Resources

A good test to find out if you are suffering burnout!

https://monkeypuzzletraining.co.uk/free-downloads/MBI_self_assessment_for_organisations.pdf

https://monkeypuzzletraining.co.uk/burnout-inventory-results

A Swedish group Bible Study method.

https://clarety-matthiasmedia.s3.amazonaws.com/userimages/swedishbiblestudyhandout-gtf.pdf

Some wise words from CS Lewis on Living in an Atomic Age.

An annual Godliness and Good Ministry review which you could use for yourself, or for your colleagues.

With my love in Christ, and my prayers for God’s blessing on your life and ministry.

Yours,    Peter Adam.

March 2022.

New website under construction!    peteradam.org   [and: stjudes.org.au/peteradam]