Flourishing in Babylon (Part 2)
Do you ever feel like the world is pressing in on you and you are surrounded by influences and messaging that does not represent your true self? Perhaps you want to live more authentically as the person you are created to be.
Last week we looked at how followers of Jesus are "resident aliens." In other words, we live in the kingdom of the world, often represented in Scripture as the city of Babylon, but we are citizens of the kingdom of God (you can read the email here).
If that's the case, how are we to "bloom where we're planted" as resident aliens in this spiritual city of Babylon? What does a flourishing life look like in the midst of Empire?
Hebrews 13 answers that question with some very practical advice. We will look at the first three practices today, and the last three next week. If you want to flourish in Babylon...
1. Practice love and compassion
“Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies."
~ Hebrews 13:1-3
In the ancient culture, hospitality was a practical application of "loving each other as brothers and sisters," especially because travel in these times was difficult and inns could be dangerous. But notice it says “strangers," which does not mean inviting your best friend over for lunch. It's great to do that, but it’s not biblical hospitality. Biblical hospitality extends well beyond our friend group.
The practical side of love also extends to other "strangers" whom we might not know - visiting prisoners and seeking justice for the marginalized and mistreated. The commonality here is reaching beyond our tribe to those who are unable to care for themselves. Who are those people in your life?
Bottom line: if you want to flourish in Babylon, do not separate yourself from the needs all around you. Practice love and compassion.
2. Practice faithfulness to one another, especially in marriage
“Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery."
~ Hebrews 13:4
First, let’s clarify that these words do not put marriage above the single lifestyle. It is possible to flourish in marriage, and it is definitely possible to flourish as a single person. The modern-day church has almost made an idol out of marriage, saying it should be the goal of every person who wants to flourish, and that simply is not true.
That said, for those who choose marriage, you will not flourish without faithfulness. This goes beyond just sexual faithfulness. Adultery, abuse, neglect, control all dishonour marriage.
For the single person, faithfulness to a friendship can be demonstrated many ways. For example, by how we talk to our friends when they're around, and talk about our friends when they aren't around.
Bottom line: if you want to flourish in Babylon, practice relational faithfulness, especially in marriage.
3. Practice contentment
“Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, 'I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.' So we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?'"
~ Hebrews 13:5-6
When we have trouble trusting God, we turn to the next thing that might give us security. Often it’s money, though sometimes it’s a relationship or a possession or something else. Notice that the word here does not forbid having money, but the love of money, which births greed and coveting.
How do we avoid this? According to the author of Hebrews, the antidote to the love of money is contentment, which comes from trusting in God’s promised provision. This means that contentment has much more to do with who you are on the inside rather than what you have.
Bottom line: if you want to flourish in Babylon, practice contentment.
PAUSE AND REFLECT
These three simple practices help us flourish in the midst of Empire, but the final statement about contentment is actually true of all the practices - they have more to do with who we are on the inside.
The problem is, we were born and raised in Babylon. Babylon lives within us, and already we can see that these practices are not the values of Babylon. So in order to embrace these three practices and the values they represent, we need a heart transplant - a new heart to replace Babylon's heart within us. And that heart's only source is Jesus.
So where might God be inviting you to turn away from Babylon's values and grow in a more countercultural lifestyle? Through the practice of love and compassion? Faithfulness? Contentment? Pick one practice, and then pick one thing you can do to live it out this week. Who can you reach out to beyond your tribe and welcome this week? How can you be a more faithful friend or spouse this week? How might you demonstrate contentment and trust in the Lord's provision this week?
We point to a Redeemer by living as redeemed people in the middle of Empire. Love, faithfulness, and contentment are three ways that our actions point others to the transformation Jesus offers us in Babylon.