Practicing Hesed (1): No Limits
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8
Whatever – One of the boys at the jail said, “I don’t know if I can be a Christian. There are so many things you can’t do!” He expressed sentiments that we have all felt. If being a Christian is keeping all the rules, life might seem pretty limited. But we have forgotten our Greek. We need to be reminded of Paul’s repeated word, hosa. “Whatever” is the translation in the NASB, but the word includes “as many as, all of a kind, as much as can be, and everything in the class.” Paul’s view is quite different than the typical outsider to the Christian walk. In Paul’s view, the Christian life is life unlimited. Whatever fits the deeper principle, do it all!
We shouldn’t be surprised about this word. Paul tells us in Greek what was already clear in Hebrew. The complete life practices hesed (do you remember – June 27 and 28). Paul should know. He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. His thoughts about what really matters are saturated with Scripture. And practicing hesed is very high on the list. In this verse, Paul does us a very great favor. He spells out the thought patterns of hesed. We know that hesed is benevolent action on behalf of another, promoting and preserving life through relationships and faithful commitment. But action begins with thinking and here Paul pulls back the curtain on the mental process that results in hesed actions. Did you think that Paul invented this structure for his Christian audience? Not so. The thought plan of hesed is as old as God Himself.
Life with God reflects God’s character. Spend enough time in His presence, and you will begin to shine like Him. Moses knew what that meant. We are invited to experience the same radiance. It’s inevitable. Life grows from the inside out. What you plant inside will sprout, bloom and flourish on the outside. So Paul’s advice is to plant what promotes God’s character. In fact, says Paul, don’t limit yourself when you plant. Plant a crop that will yield one hundred times or more. Plant everything that you can find that fits the divine character.
Does being a Christian limit you? Are you hedged in by rules? Has your life with God deteriorated to obligations and expectations? Meditate on hosa. Then kick open some doors. There’s a whole world of wonder waiting for you to wander, looking for seeds to plant.
