Reflection on Discipling the Nations - Essay Example

Discipling Nations with the Word of God Throughout history, leaders have had their own ways of ruling their nations. Many base their rule on the values they learned from bureaucratic schools, some use communist views they observed from history, while few anchor their ways on care ethics they learned from the Bible. In Miller and Guthrie (2001), the authors argue how discipling nations differs from simply ruling nations. They provide examples to illustrate how leaders, care givers and other service providers should act in accordance with Christian teachings when discipling nations. This paper discusses the important points raised by the authors and evaluates how the principles presented could be applied in the different settings. Discipling nations, as the term implies, means using the Word of God to rule the people. This is different from merely ruling a nation in that discipleship means leading the people in accordance with the way Christ ruled over his disciples. By way of definition, one can say that discipling is not exactly equal to ruling in that the term discipling has different responsibilities, not only to the people under the authority but also to the One whose sake the service is given, God. Miller, the main author of the book, makes it clear from the very beginning that he is not a relativist. This means that his point of view will not be swayed to please different religions by denouncing God and His divine wisdom. Instead, he views that discipling nations should be accompanied by a “reverent humility before the Almighty” (p.13). In his introduction, he points out with an example from Roosevelt that no physical preparations (i.e., fully armed men) could equate the values one can get from the Bible. Miller explains that discipling nations is similar to a story which has the king, his kingdom, stewards, and task. Thus, he divides his discussion into chapters, among which are The Story, The King, His Kingdom, His Stewards, The Nature of Community, and The Task. Particularly, for Miller, discipling nations means teaching people to obey everything that Christ has taught. In “The Story,” the author argues that every nation has a story, and such story mirrors the values, attitude, and culture of the people. Miller provides the example of a nursing instructor’s interaction with a student who comes from a culture that believes there are evil elements that lurk at night, causing polio. Based on this example, Miller points out that in discipling nations, a Christian has to be aware of his/her own culture and the culture of those he/she works with, and then apply God’s wisdom. The first two are quite easy to do, yet the third one, that is, to apply or embrace God’s wisdom requires accepting what God teaches in the Bible and repenting disbelief of anything written on it. As for the third proposal, Miller points to many Christians who have become lax regarding their Christian values. Many Christian leaders nowadays tend to put their values aside in order to win the majority, when in fact the majority of the people are also Christians who are just waiting for that leader to stand up for Christian values and ethics. Leaders nowadays lack the willpower to stand up for what they believe in; thus many youth nowadays are disoriented regarding what values to adopt. Parents, teachers, media people, and authorities prefer to make themselves agreeable by bowing to other cultures and religions, even though such would mean turning away from God. On this viewpoint, Miller claims that “the more closely we adhere to non-theistic world-views, the farther we are from objective reality and the closer we are to death and destruction” (p.36). This statement solidifies his view that discipling nations is submitting to the teachings of God. Miller also points out the power of world-views in changing what a person sees. Therefore, holding on to our Christian doctrines will guide every individual despite changes in the world. This is similar to saying that universal values or Christian moral teachings of yesterday should not be bent to fit in modern-day principles. Rather, the latter should be shaped around the former to ensure correctness. In the chapter “The King”, Miller explores the role of God in the world. He begins by contrasting secularism, animism, and theism. In a nutshell, secularism believes that the world continues with its never-ending process. Animism supports the view that the universe will soon decay, whereas theism holds that God created the world in the beginning and will restore it in the end. Miller expounds on the character of God and his divine will. He points out the goodness of the King in creating man in His image, watching over His creation and defending it from enemies such as what Yahweh did in the Old Testament, making His son dwell with the people, and sending His Holy Spirit afterwards. These good things make the kingship of God exemplary and His will divine. Given this view about God, Miller points out the importance of discipling nations to make them fit for the coming of the Creator. He believes that the world should be restored to its beauty, thus pointing to the important role of the stewards in the kingdom of God. In the chapter “the Kingdom”, Miller further explains that God’s kingdom is an open system. This means that resources are shared among the people. If we look at the way our natural resources exist, we may notice that, unlike the animistic view with its claim of the world soon coming to its end, plants, animals and other gifts from God may be restored in their abundance through the workings of the people. As such, the role of the stewards is a very important aspect in supporting the needs of the people and eventually restoring the Kingdom of God. In “The Nature of the Community”, Miller explains the differences among religious beliefs about God. Some hold a polytheistic view while others have a monotheistic view. In this regard, Miller supports the idea of the “three-in-one” god, which “exemplifies both unity and diversity” (p.200). Taking from this, Miller believes that communities should be similar to the concept of the three-in-one God. They too should be united and diverse at the same time. That is, despite diversity, people should still find a reason to be united because after all, they are under one Creator, one God. The teachings of God should then be cascaded to the acts of the people or his stewards. First, people (or Christians) who understand the way that God has created the universe should know that everything was created beautiful. With this view, people should look at each other as creatures of God, not as enemies. In this regard, people should uphold the tabula rasa view in the nature-nurture debate. We should understand that people behave and think the way they do because they are bound by their culture, and discipling them means getting into the roots and showing the truth to them. Second, everything that God created should be shared. Miller at the start posts the question why America is still suffering despite its abundance. The answer to this is now clear. It is because authorities are not distributing the resources evenly. Those who do not have enough are put in the last line of the list, whereas those who are influential are receiving more and are put at the topmost positions. This is not only true in the U.S. but in other countries as well. Miller points out that the way God created His creation as an open-system should inform leaders of nations to share with each other what is there in order to feed everyone. This is likewise illustrated in the Bible. During His time, Jesus divided the bread and the fish to the multitudes of people, making each of them full. Likewise, in the Last Supper, Jesus shared the bread to His disciples. In fact, throughout the Old and New Testament, God tells us how to share his resources, the way Joseph the dreamer did during the seven-year draught in Egypt, and the way Yahweh let the manna fall from heaven. Reading the book benefits readers in at least four different ways. First, it provides big-picture thinking views on discipleship. Second, it allows understanding of the divine teachings of God and the different world-views that could mislead the youth. Third, it makes God’s purpose clear, and fourth, it informs readers of the role they should play in distributing and restoring God’s wealth. The fourth benefit that the book provides is the product of Miller and Guthrie’s work. Definitely, those who will read the book may come up with different views and conclusions. Non-Christians will definitely argue regarding the kingship of God, his personal qualities, etc. These issues have been addressed repeatedly in the book, but non-believers will still look for other explanations regarding the issue. Despite these issues, however, what is clear is the fact that God’s creation should be shared evenly, and if this is done, there will be no suffering, poverty, hunger, and dearth. In time, war and other forms of killing may be stopped if everyone takes an equal share of the resources. Reference Miller, D. & Guthrie, S. (2001). Discipling nations: The power of truth to transform cultures. Seattle: YWAM Publishing. Read More