Day Thirty-Two - Using What God Gave You
The dialectical tension that is characteristic of Mr. Warren’s ideas of God and Man is further illustrated in this chapter. He presents in the chapter heading a Danish proverb: “What you are is God’s gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift to God.” (p. 249) In Mr. Warren’s outlook, God gives gifts to Man, and in correlation to this Man gives gifts to God. “God deserves your best,” he exhorts us. (p. 249) This is presented not as a matter of obedience, but as a matter of the etiquette of reciprocity. Repeatedly Mr. Warren declared that our compliance with the wishes of God is not a matter of duty, but the reciprocity of doing for God because of God’s doing for us. (p. 95, 228) The dynamic of such correlation is an imaginary force that plays out in an imaginary world in which pendulums sway to and fro. God has done His bit, we are told, and now it is up to us to do our bit. But, the pendulum cannot linger long at any one pole without soon becoming subject to pressure that would send it back whence it came. Such oscillations clearly may be traced through Mr. Warren’s exposition.
In order for us to give God our best, Mr. Warren tells us, it is necessary that we discover our “SHAPE.” The subsequent discussion basically rehashes his prior exposition of the five points of his “SHAPE” acronym. However, the more practical he seeks to become, the more the inner tensions of his scheme are provoked. “Begin by assessing your gifts and abilities,” he tells us, “Take a long, honest look at what you are good at and what you’re not good at.” (p. 250) Of course, mere introspection will not reveal Divine gifting, so immediately Mr. Warren’s plan undergoes alteration due to pressure. “Ask other people for their candid opinion,” he advises next. (p. 250) Of course, popular opinion is not infallible. Next, he advises that we check circumstantial evidence. “Where have I already been successful?” (p. 250) Additionally, he acknowledges the professional services of “spiritual gift tests and ability inventories,” but also offers a number of cautions. “Another problem,” he says, “is that the more mature you become, the more likely you are to manifest the characteristics of a number of the gifts.” (p. 250)
This last statement requires another reading: “Another problem is that the more mature you become, the more likely you are to manifest the characteristics of a number of the gifts.” The last part of that sounds like the solution: “The more mature you become, the more likely you are to manifest the characteristics of a number of the gifts.” But, Mr. Warren does not present this as a solution: he presents it as a problem! This is at first surprising, given Mr. Warren’s prior emphasis upon maturity. In discussion of his purpose number three - to become like Christ (chapters 22-28) - Mr. Warren focused upon maturity. In that section he argued that the whole purpose of our lives on earth was “character development” (p. 173) In chapter 23 he suggested that the essence of maturity was “thinking of others,” and that thinking of others was the “core” of Christianity. (p. 183) One would think that drawing upon such sweeping and forceful assertions Mr. Warren now would be primed to tell us that maturity was the key - that the nature of our spiritual gifting would emerge through our maturity. However, what we find is exactly opposite to this. Incredibly, he now tells us that maturity is an obstacle to discovering spiritual gifts. He acknowledges that with maturity comes the likelihood of manifesting spiritual gifts, but he considers this not to be a solution, but a “problem”!
Lest the reader suppose that there has been a typographical error, or that somehow Mr. Warren’s intended meaning failed to come through, Mr. Warren goes on in terms that are impossible to misconstrue, “You may be serving or teaching or giving generously out of maturity rather than because it is your spiritual gift.” (p. 250) Here he expresses unmistakably a radical contrast between maturity and the spiritual gift. It is a surprising sort of statement in a way, but really it is a consistent expression of a tension that already is well established in Mr. Warren’s writings. This tension is expressed succinctly on page 181, where he says, “God has given you a new life; now you are responsible to develop it.” In context of this remark, and in other places as well, Mr. Warren speaks of the “dual responsibility” and “collaborative effort” of God’s part and Man’s part. This same tension results in an essential conflict between Mr. Warren’s third and fourth purposes. His third purpose is maturity, which is said to be Man’s part. His fourth purpose is service. The present discussion involves God’s gifting, which equips us for service, and which is said to be God’s part. Thus, in Mr. Warren’s conception maturity and gifting have nothing whatsoever to do with one another, and in fact maturity is said to be a hindrance that interferes with discerning our gifting.
Where does this leave us in our quest to “discover our SHAPE”? Mr. Warren’s first thought was to take a long, honest look at ourselves; this did not seem sufficient, but getting the opinions of others does not settle the matter either; our track-record of service does not tell the whole story; professional “assessments” have their shortcomings; and the gifting we exhibit due to maturity is an outright “problem”! Now he says, “The best way to discover your gifts and abilities is to experiment with different areas of service.” (p. 250) “Many books,” he says, “get the discovery process backward.” (p. 251) He names no such books, but he paraphrases their backward message, “Discover your spiritual gift and then you’ll know what ministry you’re supposed to have.” This sounds very much like what Mr. Warren told us on page 250, “Begin by assessing your gifts and abilities. Take a long, honest look at what you are good at and what you’re not good at.” But then on the facing page he tells us that, “It actually works in the exact opposite way. Just start serving, experimenting with different ministries, and then you’ll discover your gifts…Don’t try to figure out your gifts before volunteering to serve somewhere. Just start serving.” (p. 251) So much for the “long, honest look.” He ends up in a position that is the “exact opposite” of where he started. He is aware of reversing the position of “many books,” but seems oblivious of reversing his own position on the facing page.
The imaginary pendulum began with us taking a long, honest look at ourselves. Before we had yet turned a page it already had swung over to the pole of “Don’t try to figure out your gifts…just start serving.” As Mr. Warren moves on in his discussion to consider “heart,” “personality,” and “experience,” we find the pendulum quickly undergoing pressure to flee this pole and cross back over to the other side. He quotes the “Bible” as saying, “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that.” (p. 251) That sounds a great deal like the order of those “many books” that Mr. Warren says have it backwards. Paul is saying, according to the new, relevant, contemporary, millennium, century, today’s paraphrase that Mr. Warren chose to cite, that one first should “make a careful exploration of who you are…and then sink yourself into that.” The pressure builds. Then the topic turns to “experience.” Experience, says Mr. Warren, is one of those factors that determines our SHAPE. How long does it take to acquire experience? And, by “experience” Mr. Warren consistently means “pain, or failure, or embarrassment.” (p. 252) We never perceive the lessons of such “experience” immediately, he tells us. “Extracting the lessons from your experience takes time.” (p. 252) What is the procedure then? Does he now continue to tell us that the “many books” have it backwards? Does he tell us, “Don’t try to discern the lessons of your experience, just start serving?” No, indeed. The pendulum has completed its course back to the place where he began the discussion. The message now is, “I recommend that you take an entire weekend for a life review retreat, where you pause to see how God has worked in the various defining moments of your life…” (p. 252)
Through such oscillations Mr. Warren has made the spiritual gift a meaningless abstraction. “There are no definitions of the spiritual gifts given in the Bible,” he assures us, and elaborates that, “any definitions are arbitrary.” (p. 250) So, in his view of things one can teach, practice hospitality, exercise discernment, preach the Gospel, heal, etc. simply because he is mature, in contrast to doing such things because of spiritual gifting. The reason this poses a “problem” for Mr. Warren is because in this view of things there is a radical difference between one serving because he is mature and serving because he has been spiritually gifted, but there is no reliable way to discern this difference. In the end Mr. Warren can only say that we should not even try to figure out our spiritual gifting, but we should simply start serving and then our gifting shall become apparent. How may it be determined that a regimen of service is a solution that will reveal our spiritual gifting, but that maturity is a problem that will conceal our spiritual gifting? There is no way possible to determine such a question. It is totally arbitrary and we have nothing but Mr. Warren’s say-so at the root of it. Far from the gifts themselves being arbitrary, this is the real point of arbitrariness in his scheme of things.
In reality, maturity and spiritual gifting are integrally united in the human person. The exercise of spiritual gifts is not effective apart from maturity. At the same time, maturity is not contentless. Maturity is manifested in various qualities and characteristics. Spiritual gifts become evident in maturity. This is shown quite plainly in Paul’s lecture to the Corinthians concerning spiritual gifts and maturity (I Cor. chapters 12 through 14). The occasion for his lengthy address to them was because their fascination with spiritual gifts independent of maturity was causing problems. Contrary to Mr. Warren’s suggestion, it was not their maturity that caused them a problem discerning spiritual gifts; it was their immaturity that caused the problem. Indeed, in the 13th chapter Paul even holds up maturity as greater than the gifts. He speaks of the gifts as things that shall pass away, and says in verse 10, “when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.” The original Greek word that is translated “perfect” is teleios, which derives from the root telos, meaning end in the sense of completion or maturity. This same word is translated “mature” in many places. For example, in the following chapter, still in the midst of his exhortation concerning the spiritual gifts, Paul urges the Corinthians, “Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be babes, but in your thinking be mature.” (I Cor. 14:20). Following his statement in 13:10, that when the “perfect” comes, the partial will be done away, Paul develops the thought along the same lines of childishness vs. maturity. We see this same emphasis in Romans chapter 12. In verse 2 we are commanded to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, “that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [teleios, mature].” Paul goes on in verse 3 to exhort us to have “sound judgment,” and this is the lead in to his discussion in verses 4 through 8 of the various members of the body who “have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.” (v. 6) We see this same thing again in Ephesians chapter 4. The various gifts (v. 11) are for the equipping of the saints (v. 12) unto a “mature man” (v. 13). “As a result,” Paul says, “we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ…” (v. 14-15). Spiritual gifts are unto maturity, and maturity provides for the effective exercise of the gifts. Maturity is not the problem; it is the solution.
As he concludes the present chapter, a major emphasis of Mr. Warren is that one ought not to compare his “SHAPE” with others. He suggests, “There are two reasons why you should never compare your shape, ministry, or the results of your ministry with anyone else. First, you will always be able to find someone who seems to be doing a better job than you and you will become discouraged. Or you will always be able to find someone who doesn’t seem as effective as you and you will get full of pride.” (p. 253-254) It does not seem to occur to Mr. Warren that one might compare himself with another who is doing better and be inspired rather than discouraged. Nor does it seem possible to him that one might compare himself with another who lags behind and be motivated to help rather than to become filled with pride. His worry is that if one should compare and respond negatively, the experience would “rob you of your joy.” (p. 254) According to Mr. Warren, one should settle for the meager joy of mediocre ministry rather than the greater joy of the inspiration to excel. He cites a number of texts in attempt to make his position seem biblical. However, the texts are difficult to understand properly apart from detailed consideration of context, which Mr. Warren does not provide. At the same time he completely ignores numerous other texts that quite plainly prescribe comparison: I Cor. 4:16; 11:1, Eph. 5:1, Phil. 3:17, I Thes. 1:6-7; 2:14, II Thes. 3:7-9, Heb. 6:11-12. Another reason Mr. Warren urges avoiding comparison is that doing so makes one impervious to critique. He acknowledges that comparison invites critique, and his advice regarding critics is, “Ignore them.” (p. 254) In support of his view he quotes John Bunyan, “If my life is fruitless, it doesn’t matter who praises me, and if my life is fruitful, it doesn’t matter who criticizes me.” (p. 254) This is quite true, however, let the reader notice that “it doesn’t matter who criticizes me” is predicated upon “if my life is fruitful.” How may fruitfulness be measured? For example, is selling tens of millions of books a reliable measure of fruitfulness? If it is, then I suppose that Dan Brown, J. K. Rowling, and Rick Warren are beyond critique. However, while a fair indicator of popularity, book sales hardly corresponds necessarily to fruitfulness in the biblical ideal. Quite a lot of comparison and critique is needed in order to establish a claim to fruitfulness.
In order for us to give God our best, Mr. Warren tells us, it is necessary that we discover our “SHAPE.” The subsequent discussion basically rehashes his prior exposition of the five points of his “SHAPE” acronym. However, the more practical he seeks to become, the more the inner tensions of his scheme are provoked. “Begin by assessing your gifts and abilities,” he tells us, “Take a long, honest look at what you are good at and what you’re not good at.” (p. 250) Of course, mere introspection will not reveal Divine gifting, so immediately Mr. Warren’s plan undergoes alteration due to pressure. “Ask other people for their candid opinion,” he advises next. (p. 250) Of course, popular opinion is not infallible. Next, he advises that we check circumstantial evidence. “Where have I already been successful?” (p. 250) Additionally, he acknowledges the professional services of “spiritual gift tests and ability inventories,” but also offers a number of cautions. “Another problem,” he says, “is that the more mature you become, the more likely you are to manifest the characteristics of a number of the gifts.” (p. 250)
This last statement requires another reading: “Another problem is that the more mature you become, the more likely you are to manifest the characteristics of a number of the gifts.” The last part of that sounds like the solution: “The more mature you become, the more likely you are to manifest the characteristics of a number of the gifts.” But, Mr. Warren does not present this as a solution: he presents it as a problem! This is at first surprising, given Mr. Warren’s prior emphasis upon maturity. In discussion of his purpose number three - to become like Christ (chapters 22-28) - Mr. Warren focused upon maturity. In that section he argued that the whole purpose of our lives on earth was “character development” (p. 173) In chapter 23 he suggested that the essence of maturity was “thinking of others,” and that thinking of others was the “core” of Christianity. (p. 183) One would think that drawing upon such sweeping and forceful assertions Mr. Warren now would be primed to tell us that maturity was the key - that the nature of our spiritual gifting would emerge through our maturity. However, what we find is exactly opposite to this. Incredibly, he now tells us that maturity is an obstacle to discovering spiritual gifts. He acknowledges that with maturity comes the likelihood of manifesting spiritual gifts, but he considers this not to be a solution, but a “problem”!
Lest the reader suppose that there has been a typographical error, or that somehow Mr. Warren’s intended meaning failed to come through, Mr. Warren goes on in terms that are impossible to misconstrue, “You may be serving or teaching or giving generously out of maturity rather than because it is your spiritual gift.” (p. 250) Here he expresses unmistakably a radical contrast between maturity and the spiritual gift. It is a surprising sort of statement in a way, but really it is a consistent expression of a tension that already is well established in Mr. Warren’s writings. This tension is expressed succinctly on page 181, where he says, “God has given you a new life; now you are responsible to develop it.” In context of this remark, and in other places as well, Mr. Warren speaks of the “dual responsibility” and “collaborative effort” of God’s part and Man’s part. This same tension results in an essential conflict between Mr. Warren’s third and fourth purposes. His third purpose is maturity, which is said to be Man’s part. His fourth purpose is service. The present discussion involves God’s gifting, which equips us for service, and which is said to be God’s part. Thus, in Mr. Warren’s conception maturity and gifting have nothing whatsoever to do with one another, and in fact maturity is said to be a hindrance that interferes with discerning our gifting.
Where does this leave us in our quest to “discover our SHAPE”? Mr. Warren’s first thought was to take a long, honest look at ourselves; this did not seem sufficient, but getting the opinions of others does not settle the matter either; our track-record of service does not tell the whole story; professional “assessments” have their shortcomings; and the gifting we exhibit due to maturity is an outright “problem”! Now he says, “The best way to discover your gifts and abilities is to experiment with different areas of service.” (p. 250) “Many books,” he says, “get the discovery process backward.” (p. 251) He names no such books, but he paraphrases their backward message, “Discover your spiritual gift and then you’ll know what ministry you’re supposed to have.” This sounds very much like what Mr. Warren told us on page 250, “Begin by assessing your gifts and abilities. Take a long, honest look at what you are good at and what you’re not good at.” But then on the facing page he tells us that, “It actually works in the exact opposite way. Just start serving, experimenting with different ministries, and then you’ll discover your gifts…Don’t try to figure out your gifts before volunteering to serve somewhere. Just start serving.” (p. 251) So much for the “long, honest look.” He ends up in a position that is the “exact opposite” of where he started. He is aware of reversing the position of “many books,” but seems oblivious of reversing his own position on the facing page.
The imaginary pendulum began with us taking a long, honest look at ourselves. Before we had yet turned a page it already had swung over to the pole of “Don’t try to figure out your gifts…just start serving.” As Mr. Warren moves on in his discussion to consider “heart,” “personality,” and “experience,” we find the pendulum quickly undergoing pressure to flee this pole and cross back over to the other side. He quotes the “Bible” as saying, “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that.” (p. 251) That sounds a great deal like the order of those “many books” that Mr. Warren says have it backwards. Paul is saying, according to the new, relevant, contemporary, millennium, century, today’s paraphrase that Mr. Warren chose to cite, that one first should “make a careful exploration of who you are…and then sink yourself into that.” The pressure builds. Then the topic turns to “experience.” Experience, says Mr. Warren, is one of those factors that determines our SHAPE. How long does it take to acquire experience? And, by “experience” Mr. Warren consistently means “pain, or failure, or embarrassment.” (p. 252) We never perceive the lessons of such “experience” immediately, he tells us. “Extracting the lessons from your experience takes time.” (p. 252) What is the procedure then? Does he now continue to tell us that the “many books” have it backwards? Does he tell us, “Don’t try to discern the lessons of your experience, just start serving?” No, indeed. The pendulum has completed its course back to the place where he began the discussion. The message now is, “I recommend that you take an entire weekend for a life review retreat, where you pause to see how God has worked in the various defining moments of your life…” (p. 252)
Through such oscillations Mr. Warren has made the spiritual gift a meaningless abstraction. “There are no definitions of the spiritual gifts given in the Bible,” he assures us, and elaborates that, “any definitions are arbitrary.” (p. 250) So, in his view of things one can teach, practice hospitality, exercise discernment, preach the Gospel, heal, etc. simply because he is mature, in contrast to doing such things because of spiritual gifting. The reason this poses a “problem” for Mr. Warren is because in this view of things there is a radical difference between one serving because he is mature and serving because he has been spiritually gifted, but there is no reliable way to discern this difference. In the end Mr. Warren can only say that we should not even try to figure out our spiritual gifting, but we should simply start serving and then our gifting shall become apparent. How may it be determined that a regimen of service is a solution that will reveal our spiritual gifting, but that maturity is a problem that will conceal our spiritual gifting? There is no way possible to determine such a question. It is totally arbitrary and we have nothing but Mr. Warren’s say-so at the root of it. Far from the gifts themselves being arbitrary, this is the real point of arbitrariness in his scheme of things.
In reality, maturity and spiritual gifting are integrally united in the human person. The exercise of spiritual gifts is not effective apart from maturity. At the same time, maturity is not contentless. Maturity is manifested in various qualities and characteristics. Spiritual gifts become evident in maturity. This is shown quite plainly in Paul’s lecture to the Corinthians concerning spiritual gifts and maturity (I Cor. chapters 12 through 14). The occasion for his lengthy address to them was because their fascination with spiritual gifts independent of maturity was causing problems. Contrary to Mr. Warren’s suggestion, it was not their maturity that caused them a problem discerning spiritual gifts; it was their immaturity that caused the problem. Indeed, in the 13th chapter Paul even holds up maturity as greater than the gifts. He speaks of the gifts as things that shall pass away, and says in verse 10, “when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.” The original Greek word that is translated “perfect” is teleios, which derives from the root telos, meaning end in the sense of completion or maturity. This same word is translated “mature” in many places. For example, in the following chapter, still in the midst of his exhortation concerning the spiritual gifts, Paul urges the Corinthians, “Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be babes, but in your thinking be mature.” (I Cor. 14:20). Following his statement in 13:10, that when the “perfect” comes, the partial will be done away, Paul develops the thought along the same lines of childishness vs. maturity. We see this same emphasis in Romans chapter 12. In verse 2 we are commanded to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, “that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [teleios, mature].” Paul goes on in verse 3 to exhort us to have “sound judgment,” and this is the lead in to his discussion in verses 4 through 8 of the various members of the body who “have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.” (v. 6) We see this same thing again in Ephesians chapter 4. The various gifts (v. 11) are for the equipping of the saints (v. 12) unto a “mature man” (v. 13). “As a result,” Paul says, “we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ…” (v. 14-15). Spiritual gifts are unto maturity, and maturity provides for the effective exercise of the gifts. Maturity is not the problem; it is the solution.
As he concludes the present chapter, a major emphasis of Mr. Warren is that one ought not to compare his “SHAPE” with others. He suggests, “There are two reasons why you should never compare your shape, ministry, or the results of your ministry with anyone else. First, you will always be able to find someone who seems to be doing a better job than you and you will become discouraged. Or you will always be able to find someone who doesn’t seem as effective as you and you will get full of pride.” (p. 253-254) It does not seem to occur to Mr. Warren that one might compare himself with another who is doing better and be inspired rather than discouraged. Nor does it seem possible to him that one might compare himself with another who lags behind and be motivated to help rather than to become filled with pride. His worry is that if one should compare and respond negatively, the experience would “rob you of your joy.” (p. 254) According to Mr. Warren, one should settle for the meager joy of mediocre ministry rather than the greater joy of the inspiration to excel. He cites a number of texts in attempt to make his position seem biblical. However, the texts are difficult to understand properly apart from detailed consideration of context, which Mr. Warren does not provide. At the same time he completely ignores numerous other texts that quite plainly prescribe comparison: I Cor. 4:16; 11:1, Eph. 5:1, Phil. 3:17, I Thes. 1:6-7; 2:14, II Thes. 3:7-9, Heb. 6:11-12. Another reason Mr. Warren urges avoiding comparison is that doing so makes one impervious to critique. He acknowledges that comparison invites critique, and his advice regarding critics is, “Ignore them.” (p. 254) In support of his view he quotes John Bunyan, “If my life is fruitless, it doesn’t matter who praises me, and if my life is fruitful, it doesn’t matter who criticizes me.” (p. 254) This is quite true, however, let the reader notice that “it doesn’t matter who criticizes me” is predicated upon “if my life is fruitful.” How may fruitfulness be measured? For example, is selling tens of millions of books a reliable measure of fruitfulness? If it is, then I suppose that Dan Brown, J. K. Rowling, and Rick Warren are beyond critique. However, while a fair indicator of popularity, book sales hardly corresponds necessarily to fruitfulness in the biblical ideal. Quite a lot of comparison and critique is needed in order to establish a claim to fruitfulness.
posted by S. C. Mooney at 4:09 PM
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