Doing Justice and Loving Mercy: Compassion Ministries, Mentor's Guide, MG16

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D O I N G J U S T I C E A N D L O V I N G M E R C Y : C O M P A S S I O N M I N I S T R I E S

Does this mean that all forms of planning and strategizing are fundamentally ungodly and ineffective? Of course not! The Scriptures contain numerous examples of those who employed methods of planning, strategy, foresight, shrewdness, and ingenuity in carrying out the will and plan of God, including Noah, Moses, Joshua, Hezekiah, Jacob, and many others. What this lesson seeks to resolve is the old, and unconvincing dichotomy and disagreement between faith and strategy, between the filling of the Spirit and wise strategy from God. The goal here is to see how these concepts are complimentary rather than contradictory , and in fact supplement each other rather than annul one another. The devotion asserts what the Bible does without any equivocation: God Almighty is the source of all truth, wisdom, and knowledge. This being the case, we can seek him with all our hearts and come to experience his grace and mercy directly through the provision of his wisdom in our lives and ministries. We do not seek to do justice and mercy in either our own strength or wisdom. Rather, seeking the mind of the Lord and the goodness of God, we unashamedly affirm God as the Source of all wisdom, and refuse to go forward without his intervention, leading, and guidance. This kind of humility and approach, combined with a deep resolve to bring glory and honor to God in all that we do, can lead to new, innovative, and long lasting results and acts of compassion. We must begin, however, at the beginning–the goodness and wisdom of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. As you begin to explore with your students the biblical and historical understandings of the relationship of the Church and world, you will find B. J. Dodd’s summary of the concept of world helpful: The most common usage of “world” in James, 2 Peter and 1 John is to identify people at enmity with God, those who oppose God’s will and purpose: “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4.4). Therefore a Christian is “to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1.27). 2 Peter describes the world as the place where antagonism toward God dwells, incurring “defilements” that need to be escaped (2 Pet. 2.20; cf. Pol. Phil. 5.3; Ign. Rom. 3.3; 7.1).

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