Becoming Spiritually Ambidextrous

One of the so-called “church fathers,” often grouped together with some known as the “desert fathers,” was a man named Abba Theodore. I know nothing about him except for one phrase he is said to have coined that still needs to be heard today.

He challenged people to be “spritually ambidextrous.”

What did Theodore mean by that? He meant just what Paul wrote about in Philippians 4, as the apostle wrote about having a lot or having a little.

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (ESV, Philippians 4:11-13)

Abba Theodore challenged the people of his day to realize that God is always present, God is always good, and God is always needed no matter what we might  have…or what we might be doing without.

For many in the Western world, we need to develop this ambidextrous ability again. Many of us equate having a lot with true spirituality. It is true that God promises to bless us for our faithfulness, but that does not always mean financial blessings. Sometimes we must go through the proving grounds of having less.

At other times, the great test is just the opposite: the test of having much. And let’s be honest, many of us fail miserably when that test comes. When we gain and get, we can cut God out of the picture. We have not learned to be content in Him when we become content with stuff.

Today, take stock of your life. Look at what you have and realize that, no matter the amount, you still have, and you still need, God.

Abba Theodore may have come up with a memorable phrase, but our Abba Father is the only One we truly need in this life.

QUESTION: Why can it be so easy to forget God when we have either a lot or a little?

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Photo credit: Dustin Moore on creative commons

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