Evaluations.... Really God? Why? For what purpose?
SCRIPTURE
“3 it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. 4 My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide. 7 For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?.” - 1 Corinthians 4:3-4 & 7 (NLT)
OBSERVATION
Okay God, let’s do this! Two key points that seemed to leap off the page and grab both my heart and mind this morning: 1st: The concept of evaluation: self / others (vs 3-4). 2nd: Bottom line self-evaluation questions laid out in verse 7.
First a question: How does our culture define this concept of evaluation? Wikipedia states, “Evaluation is the comparison of actual impacts against strategic plans. It looks at original objectives, at what was accomplished and how it was accomplished. It can be formative, that is taking place during the life of a project or organization, with the intention of improving the strategy or way of functioning of the project or organization. It can also be summative, drawing lessons from a completed project or an organization that is no longer functioning. Not all evaluations serve the same purpose some evaluations serve a monitoring function rather than focusing solely on measurable program outcomes or evaluation findings and a full list of types of evaluations would be difficult to compile. This is because evaluation is not part of a unified theoretical framework,drawing on a number of disciplines, which include management and organizational theory, policy analysis, education, sociology, social anthropology, and social change. Evaluation is inherently a theoretically informed approach (whether explicitly or not), and consequently a definition of evaluation would have be tailored to the theory, approach, needs, purpose and methodology of the evaluation itself.”
Let’s take things back to the text and gain some perspective on 1 Corinthians 4. The book was written from Ephesus (16:8), a city on the west coast of today's Turkey, about 180 miles by sea from Corinth. According to Acts of the Apostles, Paul founded the church in Corinth (Acts 18:1-17), then spent approximately three years in Ephesus (Acts 19:8, 19:10, 20:31). The letter was written during this time in Ephesus, which is usually dated as being in the range of 53 to 57 AD. Okay, how does Paul define this concept of evaluation? In verses 3-4 Paul makes notes of his ‘opinion’ and reveals that weight this concepts holds in saying, ‘It is a very small things that I may be examined.‘ Paul continues to express his thoughts about, questioning, examining, interrogating the use of judicial examination of self and others before the final verdict is given by God (see vs 4); and then, in verse 4 he attaches evaluation to a concept of justification. What does justification mean? According to vs 4 to justify, is to declare to be in the right stance, posture, heart, mindset, or in the right standing. Paul seems to communicate that he spends very little time examining himself and leaves this examination to “the Lord” (v4). It’s seems like Paul is contradicting himself as he is also known as one who continually presses forward.... ....and in order press forward effectively ‘I’ must evaluate things - right?
Let’s go Philippians 3:8-15 (NLT), “8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! 12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
As I re-read both 1 Corinthians 4 and Philippians 3 my confusion is clarified. It appears that Paul does spend a lot of time evaluating his past but places his energy on the future application - AKA: What’s ahead of him.
Okay, God what are YOU saying to me this morning? ..... ..... Is my evaluation for applause, accolades, or for future progression? What is the purpose of my evaluation? Self-improvement, others standards, or to please God? If my aim is to please God, can I earn He approval? How do i please Him? How does this concept of daily play into my relationship with Christ? Trust.... Obedience... Actions/Reactions....
APPLICATION =A:
Bottom line self-evaluation questions (vs 7), “7 For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?.
What gives me the right to make such a judgement on myself or others? What do I have that God hasn’t given me? What do I want that God has not given me and why do I really want it? If everything I have is really from God, why do I boast at times as if it was not a provision and gift from Him?
Okay... Who I am to NOT freely extend all that YOU have FREELY EXTEND to me? ALL that I that YOU have given me! Life & health! How? Creator. Provision! How? My paid check comes from my employer. Where does my employer get the funds to pay me? Individuals. Where do those individuals receive their provision? Wow... It’a all tracks back to YOU creating the concept of finances, employment, and ultimately me working (Genesis)! What about the things I earned? AKA: Awards, accomplishments, etc.? Ultimately, YOU’ve created and placed those before me also! What about the difficult times, the trails, the hardships? .... .... Ya.... I can also see YOUR hand allowing those things to also touch my life.... ....
Bottom line: Everything that touches my life both GREAT, GOOD, and not so good YOU - GOD have allowed to touch my life!
PRAYER
Help me take Paul’s mindset on and NOT exhaust myself via self evaluation but evaluate myself with forward progress in mind. I like Paul have NOT “achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling me.” God, thank YOU for speaking to me through out the week - calling me to be with YOU! Help me, “TRUST in YOU with all my heart and NOT lean on my own understanding. In all my ways HELP me acknowledge YOU, (TRUSTING) YOU will make your paths straight.” - Proverbs 3:5-6. Ultimately, I see today that it’s not all that I do, achieve, or accomplish.... but that YOU really desire ME.... time with me; so that, we can have a relationship.... .... Here I am.... Thank YOUGod for meeting me here and caring so much about me that YOU don’t want me to get hung up over past issues.... .... and YOU deeply care about my future.... Wow, God.... it’s not about what I might accomplish for YOU but YOUR really focused on my complete health and truly desire to do life with me.... every step along the way!!!! Thank YOU God, for caring so much and meeting me right where I am at. I choose to start moving forward now via being with YOU and taking baby steps forward. - Trevor
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