Ask the Pastor
A few weeks ago, I received a question from a church member that I have wrestled with myself. Because I think it may be helpful for others, though I have already addressed the question privately, I asked their permission to deal with it through this article, which they gladly gave.
The Question: "Pastor Kyle, there are so many needs around me and though I want to help everybody, I just can't. On top of that, I have friends that have asked me to volunteer to serve with them at a ministry downtown and though I would love to, I had to tell them no because I'm already helping at another ministry right now. Though I know better, I feel guilty about it. I want to do so much more than I am doing but there's only so much I can do. Any advice?"
Virgil was a Roman poet who was one of the most respected figures of the Augustinian period and was a major influence upon culture. Though some of the subjects Virgil explored and conclusions that he drew had Biblical themes, no serious historian has identified him as a worshipper of God. Virgil’s religion was more likely a combination of Hellenistic-Jewish, Orphic, and Eleusinian traditions.
In one of his most famous works, “Eclogues”, he wrestles with man’s mortality and limitations. As he does so, in seeming frustration, he coins the phrase, “non omnia possumus omnes”.
This Latin term simply means, “we are not capable of all things”
While I certainly don’t develop my worldview based upon the epics of ancient Roman poets, Virgil was onto something here that’s worthy of our consideration.
Here’s the reality: “non omnia possumus omnes” not only describes the limited capabilities of Virgil. It describes the limitations of us all.
While Christians would love nothing more than to volunteer for every worthwhile ministry in town, to resource every cause close to our hearts and to meet every financial need that presents itself, “we are not capable of all things”.
As a longtime Pastor, rarely has a day passed when I’ve not opened an email, answered a phone call, or received a letter asking for assistance in financial provision or for me to lead the church to get involved in some ministry opportunity.
In the city of Anderson alone, there are scores of legitimate financial needs, worthy ministries to volunteer in, and charities that are doing good and noble work to invest resources in.
Yet, when it comes down to it: non omnia possumus omnes.
So with so many pressing needs around us, how do we determine which to address and invest our limited time, talents, and resources in?
To glorify God in this important matter, we must use discernment.
Put very simply, discernment is the ability to distinguish and decide between truth and error, right and wrong…but it’s more than just that.
Sinclair Ferguson added this element to his definition of discernment: “True discernment means not only distinguishing the right from the wrong; it means distinguishing the primary from the secondary, the essential from the indifferent, and the permanent from the transient. And, yes, it means distinguishing between the good and the better, and even between the better and the best.”
Many passages of scripture such as 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 and 1 John 4:1 command Christians to be discerning.
By God’s sovereign determination, while discernment is given in unusual measure as a special gift to some (1 Cor. 12:10), all Christians, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, have the capability of being discerning and must take care to develop this within themselves.
Why is discernment so vital as we decide what causes or ministry opportunities to invest ourselves and our resources in?
Well, first of all, because not everything that glitters is gold.
Unfortunately, there are charlatans and false teachers who prey upon the kindness and resources of Christians and the church. They will present themselves, their ministries, and their needs are God-honoring and worthy of assistance.
This is not new. Simon Peter addressed it in his second letter as he explained to the people that there were manipulating false prophets who “will exploit you in their greed with made-up stories” – 2 Peter 2:1-3.
The word translated as "exploit" literally means to make merchandise of someone. These spiritual con-artist see the generosity and compassion of Christians and churches as a way of making money by taking advantage of a Christian's them.
Secondly, we must be discerning because some well-intentioned and passionate fellow Christians have mistakenly conflated their cause with the Gospel, are adamant that you should too, and use religious guilt as a tactic to compel you to join their cause.
This is usually expressed in a way similar to this: “If you aren’t (fill in the blank), you aren’t really following Christ.”
While assisting or investing our time or resources here might temporarily sooth the false guilt we’ve been deceived into feeling, the “relief” will not be lasting and there’s also the danger of developing a sense of religious superiority ourselves.
That sounds eerily similar to the way the Pharisees desired to cause sincere Christians to question the legitimacy of their faith because they weren’t observing the feast, diet, and rituals that were found on the liturgical calendar or found in the Torah.
Lastly, we must be discerning because to indiscriminately give our time, talent, and resources is actually poor stewardship.
“For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. It is not that there should be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality. At the present time your surplus is available for their need, so that their abundance may in turn meet your need, in order that there may be equality.” – 2 Corinthians 8:12-14
At the end of the day, whether we are talking about the limited time or resources that we have, we’re called to be intentional and cheerful givers, not reluctant ones. We don’t give from a place of compulsion but from a heart bursting with generosity (2 Cor 9:7)
While the primary ministry that we are to invest ourselves and our resources in the local church, when additional opportunities present themselves, I try to run them through what I call the 4 P’s:
Prayer – The Lord speaks to me through prayer. When I petition Him for wisdom, He is true to His Word, and He grants it liberally. I am careful not to invest myself, my resources, or my time until I’ve gotten the go-ahead from Heaven. The Lord will direct you through prayer, Saints.
Passion – All of our heart strings are all tugged by different things. Some may have a soft spot for single moms or those trapped in addiction Others may feel extra compassion toward foster children or the homeless. Some have a special place in their heart for people in various regions of the world. Here’s the thing – those passions, that are often unique to the individual, are placed there by God. I believe that the passions that He places are helpful indicators of where He desires us to invest ourselves.
A quick note here – Just because something is my passion doesn’t mean it must be someone else’s priority.
Purpose – What is the chief purpose of the ministry that is asking of my time and resources? Does it align with scripture? With the Great Commission? With the Great Commandment?
There are many ministries and organizations that lack true Gospel purpose. That doesn’t necessarily make them bad things but it does decrease their value as we’re called to live our lives on Gospel mission. We must be very discerning here.
Priority – You and I have limited time and energy here on this earth. There are also limits on our resources (if don’t believe me, go write a $5,000,000 check and see what happens). Yet what time, energy, and resources we do have, we’ve been graciously given and will be held accountable for. We’re stewards (or managers) of these things and 1st Corinthians 4:2 tells us that “it is required of stewards that they be found faithful”.
That’s impossible without being careful to prioritize what matters most to the Lord.
To wrap all this up, allow me to go back for a moment to my Methodist roots and quote John Wesely, “Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can"
Saints, concerning the many needs that are presented to us, none of us can do it all, but all of us can do something. Let’s be wise and discerning as it relates to what that something is.
In Christ Alone,
Pastor Kyle
In one of his most famous works, “Eclogues”, he wrestles with man’s mortality and limitations. As he does so, in seeming frustration, he coins the phrase, “non omnia possumus omnes”.
This Latin term simply means, “we are not capable of all things”
While I certainly don’t develop my worldview based upon the epics of ancient Roman poets, Virgil was onto something here that’s worthy of our consideration.
Here’s the reality: “non omnia possumus omnes” not only describes the limited capabilities of Virgil. It describes the limitations of us all.
While Christians would love nothing more than to volunteer for every worthwhile ministry in town, to resource every cause close to our hearts and to meet every financial need that presents itself, “we are not capable of all things”.
As a longtime Pastor, rarely has a day passed when I’ve not opened an email, answered a phone call, or received a letter asking for assistance in financial provision or for me to lead the church to get involved in some ministry opportunity.
In the city of Anderson alone, there are scores of legitimate financial needs, worthy ministries to volunteer in, and charities that are doing good and noble work to invest resources in.
Yet, when it comes down to it: non omnia possumus omnes.
So with so many pressing needs around us, how do we determine which to address and invest our limited time, talents, and resources in?
To glorify God in this important matter, we must use discernment.
Put very simply, discernment is the ability to distinguish and decide between truth and error, right and wrong…but it’s more than just that.
Sinclair Ferguson added this element to his definition of discernment: “True discernment means not only distinguishing the right from the wrong; it means distinguishing the primary from the secondary, the essential from the indifferent, and the permanent from the transient. And, yes, it means distinguishing between the good and the better, and even between the better and the best.”
Many passages of scripture such as 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 and 1 John 4:1 command Christians to be discerning.
By God’s sovereign determination, while discernment is given in unusual measure as a special gift to some (1 Cor. 12:10), all Christians, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, have the capability of being discerning and must take care to develop this within themselves.
Why is discernment so vital as we decide what causes or ministry opportunities to invest ourselves and our resources in?
Well, first of all, because not everything that glitters is gold.
Unfortunately, there are charlatans and false teachers who prey upon the kindness and resources of Christians and the church. They will present themselves, their ministries, and their needs are God-honoring and worthy of assistance.
This is not new. Simon Peter addressed it in his second letter as he explained to the people that there were manipulating false prophets who “will exploit you in their greed with made-up stories” – 2 Peter 2:1-3.
The word translated as "exploit" literally means to make merchandise of someone. These spiritual con-artist see the generosity and compassion of Christians and churches as a way of making money by taking advantage of a Christian's them.
Secondly, we must be discerning because some well-intentioned and passionate fellow Christians have mistakenly conflated their cause with the Gospel, are adamant that you should too, and use religious guilt as a tactic to compel you to join their cause.
This is usually expressed in a way similar to this: “If you aren’t (fill in the blank), you aren’t really following Christ.”
While assisting or investing our time or resources here might temporarily sooth the false guilt we’ve been deceived into feeling, the “relief” will not be lasting and there’s also the danger of developing a sense of religious superiority ourselves.
That sounds eerily similar to the way the Pharisees desired to cause sincere Christians to question the legitimacy of their faith because they weren’t observing the feast, diet, and rituals that were found on the liturgical calendar or found in the Torah.
Lastly, we must be discerning because to indiscriminately give our time, talent, and resources is actually poor stewardship.
“For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. It is not that there should be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality. At the present time your surplus is available for their need, so that their abundance may in turn meet your need, in order that there may be equality.” – 2 Corinthians 8:12-14
At the end of the day, whether we are talking about the limited time or resources that we have, we’re called to be intentional and cheerful givers, not reluctant ones. We don’t give from a place of compulsion but from a heart bursting with generosity (2 Cor 9:7)
While the primary ministry that we are to invest ourselves and our resources in the local church, when additional opportunities present themselves, I try to run them through what I call the 4 P’s:
Prayer – The Lord speaks to me through prayer. When I petition Him for wisdom, He is true to His Word, and He grants it liberally. I am careful not to invest myself, my resources, or my time until I’ve gotten the go-ahead from Heaven. The Lord will direct you through prayer, Saints.
Passion – All of our heart strings are all tugged by different things. Some may have a soft spot for single moms or those trapped in addiction Others may feel extra compassion toward foster children or the homeless. Some have a special place in their heart for people in various regions of the world. Here’s the thing – those passions, that are often unique to the individual, are placed there by God. I believe that the passions that He places are helpful indicators of where He desires us to invest ourselves.
A quick note here – Just because something is my passion doesn’t mean it must be someone else’s priority.
Purpose – What is the chief purpose of the ministry that is asking of my time and resources? Does it align with scripture? With the Great Commission? With the Great Commandment?
There are many ministries and organizations that lack true Gospel purpose. That doesn’t necessarily make them bad things but it does decrease their value as we’re called to live our lives on Gospel mission. We must be very discerning here.
Priority – You and I have limited time and energy here on this earth. There are also limits on our resources (if don’t believe me, go write a $5,000,000 check and see what happens). Yet what time, energy, and resources we do have, we’ve been graciously given and will be held accountable for. We’re stewards (or managers) of these things and 1st Corinthians 4:2 tells us that “it is required of stewards that they be found faithful”.
That’s impossible without being careful to prioritize what matters most to the Lord.
To wrap all this up, allow me to go back for a moment to my Methodist roots and quote John Wesely, “Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can"
Saints, concerning the many needs that are presented to us, none of us can do it all, but all of us can do something. Let’s be wise and discerning as it relates to what that something is.
In Christ Alone,
Pastor Kyle
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