A teaching we heard often in ATI was the need to be an energy giver. Let me start by clarifying that I firmly believe that we ought to reach out to others, encourage them with smiles and kind words, look for ways to serve, and just generally be a friendly and nice person. But what happens when you take this idea to an extreme?

I recently pulled out a chart that was in my IBLP materials. It’s titled, “Are You an Energy Giver, Taker, or Waster?” The Energy Giver is compared with the person who is “hot,” the Energy Waster is “lukewarm,” and the Energy Waster is “cold.” (These terms come from the Lord’s rebuke to the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3. Incidentally, the Lord says He wishes the church were cold or hot, just not lukewarm.) The chart compares and contrasts approximately twelve characteristics of each person. Some of them are good, some are extreme, and some would be fine if you weren’t expected to keep all of them all the time. I’ll highlight a few.

The Energy Giver smiles at everyone, using the obedient, ministry, and joyful smiles as appropriate… The Energy Waster smiles at friends and is no better than a heathen (Matthew 5:47). The Energy Taker does not smile; his sadness draws attention, which is selfish.

Now, I personally enjoy being around people who smile. They’re encouraging, and I find myself uplifted from being around them. But this teaching shows why there were so many smiling masks in ATI. If you smile at your friends only, you’re no better than a heathen. If you allow sadness on your face, you’re selfish. In other words: If you’re hurting, cry alone where no one can see you. If you’re struggling, don’t tell anyone. You can always have a reason to smile, and there is never a good reason not to smile. Have you ever considered what might be behind the joyful faces?

The Energy Giver seeks God’s face, and his eyes shine. The Energy Waster seeks his friend’s face and forms cliques. The Energy Taker seeks the rebel’s face, and his eyes are dark.

This part sounds pretty harmless until you trade out the terms for the ATI definitions. “Eyes shine” – how can you tell? This characteristic really worked out to be up to the authority to decide whether your eyes were shining or dark. Maybe you didn’t sleep well, so your eyes were dark. Maybe you were trying not to cry, which can make your eyes shine. How can you judge someone by his eyes? “Forms cliques” translates into “spends time with friends, specifically a group of people becoming closer together.” You really should not be forming a group of close-knit friends when you’re supposed to be focused on serving the Lord. “Rebel” is anyone who does not line up with the authority’s perspective. Suddenly this teaching becomes very dangerous: “If you spend time with people, build close relationships, enjoy frivolity, or align yourself with someone we have our eye on, you’re not being an Energy Giver. That means that your heart is lukewarm or cold, and you need to confess and make things right.”

The Energy Giver enjoys humor and honors design. The Energy Waster enjoys silliness and joking (Proverbs 26:18-19). The Energy Taker enjoys folly and mocks design.

There is a time and a place for humor. I do not condone mocking others, and I do not encourage folly. But silliness and joking? Light-hearted fun? I learned that to be silly or joking was frivolity and showed a heart that was not aligned with God and His will. In my mid-twenties, I’m now finally learning to relax and enjoy joking and teasing with my friends. I can pull a good-natured prank without feeling guilty, and I can take one without getting angry. When I see a group of young people laughing hard, I no longer judge them for not having a right focus on the Lord. I rejoice that they can enjoy their youth.

The Energy Giver does more than is required. The Energy Waster does only what is required. The Energy Taker does less than is required.

In other words, any time you do not find a way to go above and beyond, something is wrong with your heart.

The Energy Giver lives frugally to be generous. The Energy Waster spends extra on himself. The Energy Taker squanders or hoards resources.

So if I’m saving up my money for something, or if I spend money on something just for the fun of it, I’m not following the Lord’s will. It’s good to give to others. It’s good to be generous, and it’s good to be a wise steward of the resources God gives us. But to make this into a command to follow?

Finally, the instructions on how to become an Energy Giver, copied directly from the chart:

1. Acknowledge your need for God’s energy – Grace: the desire and power God gives to do His will
2. Recognize and reject self-effort (Iniquity) – Christ’s yoke is easy and His burden is light
3. Dedicate your body as a living sacrifice – Yield members each day. (Romans 12:1-2)
4. Be committed to God’s will – and find it! – Check every action against Basic Principles
5. Learn verses on endurance

“If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.”

“Be not weary in well-doing, for in due season ye shall reap.”

“Be thou in the fear of the Lord, for surely there is an end…”

“If you have run with footmen and they have wearied you…”

Truth: We cannot live the Christian life in our own strength. We need the Lord’s help to carry on. If we’re following the Lord, His yoke is easy. We need to surrender to the Lord, and we need to obey what we know God has commanded. We should not give up when life gets hard.

Problems: God’s grace again becomes merely the energy to live up to these standards. This man-made burden is not easy or light. It’s closer to impossible. To find God’s will, check every action against what? I believe the correct answer would be God’s Word, not the Basic Principles.

Once again, the Christian life becomes standards to meet, principles to follow, and external rules against which you must measure your life. When we know and understand God’s love and grace, smiling and enthusiastic service will naturally follow. But it’s ok to cry. It’s ok to admit that you’re having a hard day. It’s ok to have friends and to allow them to help you get back on track. And it’s ok to laugh and enjoy life.