What Paul and Bill Have in Common!
- Jay S. Lowder
- Sep 24
- 5 min read
What? Something they have in common? They both triangulated! Politically, Bill Clinton chose to take stances that were more moderate than most Democrats and more liberal than most Republicans: A disapproving liberal political scholar wrote, “‘Triangulation’ is what Bill Clinton called his moves to the right during his presidency. Clinton described his approach as avoiding the left and the right and establishing a third point above these two “extremes,” and thus the triangle."1 His triangle served to advance his own agenda and, in hindsight, his ego.2
But Paul used triangulation to achieve a higher purpose, the highest purpose in life, the exaltation of God. He thanked God for people and what they did, not them directly. This is subtle yet substantial, and often different from what we typically do. Paul always rejoiced in the Lord, not in people, though he often rejoiced in the Lord because of people.
Long before the famous country song, “You Are Always on My Mind,” Paul wrote to the Philippians: “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you” (Philippians 1:3). Notice, he does not say, “thank you.” A triangle can illustrate this. SIDE 1: Paul sees the growing image of Jesus in the Philippians and their generosity in supporting him. SIDE 2: He thanks God for that growth. The Philippians are the cause of the praise, but not its recipients. SIDE 3: Paul tells them that he thanks God for them! Glory goes to God alone, and joy flows to them!
God’s goodness and grace were so central to Paul’s thought that God was always the object of his praise, even when others were the intermediate cause. Walter Hansen observes:
Paul’s awareness of the Lord’s faithfulness in providing these gifts causes him to rejoice greatly in the Lord. Good gifts never divert Paul’s central focus from rejoicing in the Lord, the ultimate Provider of all good gifts. His focus on the Lord’s provision is the basis of his assurance to the Philippians: God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus (4:19). This central focus on God transforms the transaction of giving and receiving among Christians from a human, horizontal exchange to a divine-human, triangular interaction. God initiates giving, empowers givers, supplies gifts, and meets needs. Participating in the activity of God by giving and receiving leads
to rejoicing greatly in the Lord.3
Paul does the same thing regarding thanksgiving in Colossians, though in an even more extreme way. It is one thing to think of each good gift received as primarily from God, but what about the good fruits of growth within you? Surely, Paul can thank believers for what they have achieved inside themselves: love, joy, peace, etc. He cannot and will not:
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints.
(Colossians 1:3-4)
Sam Storms clarifies what Paul is thinking and thanking God for:
If Paul believed that these Colossians were themselves ultimately responsible for the presence of faith and love in their hearts, why did he bother to thank God? Why didn’t he simply congratulate the Colossians and get on to other matters? On the other hand, if Paul believed, and I believe he did, that God was ultimately the source for their trust in Jesus and their affection toward one another, it makes perfectly good sense for him to express his gratitude to God each time he prays for these Christians.4
Do you show compassion and generosity towards those in the body of Christ? If so, don’t pat yourself on the back. Rather, extend your hands upward to God and say: “Thanks, God!” God gets the glory, even for your personal spiritual growth, and you get the joy. You work, but God gives the growth.
Triangulating Spirituality Improves Your Life
As you accept this God-centered view of him as the source of “good gifts and every perfect gift” (James 1:17), you will improve your Christian walk. First, you will have more to pray about, getting closer to being able to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) because, as you look around at the many Christians in your life, you will see more reasons to praise him. You will acknowledge a Christian sister growing in the Lord by first giving thanks to God for her and then telling her that you did! Is a Christian brother modeling steadfast faith through chemotherapy? Praise God for that “gifted faith” to him and tell him that his example is encouraging your faith (Hebrews 3:13).
Second, instead of giving up on immature believers, you will become quicker to pray to God for them than to express your disappointment to them. And you will stop dispensing unhelpful advice. You will pray to their Master for them, and He will help them grow and persevere (Romans 14:4). You will pray to God for them more than you will push or nag them. In this case, the Christian in need of growth becomes a cause of petition instead of grumbling. God receives the request and the honor of being petitioned. Furthermore, what was once immature or evil in a believer will become a cause for good (petition). God is likely to answer such a request, resulting in a repeat of the process, allowing you to triangulate thanksgiving back to God again.
Third, we get to receive good things from others without the danger of idolizing them or becoming dependent on them. We are truly trusting in God alone, not in others, though we rejoice that God uses others as channels of His goodness. Warren Wiersbe’s wonderful definition of ministry applies so well: “Ministry takes place when divine resources meet human needs through loving channels to the glory of God.”5
Fourth, God-focused thanksgiving frees us to receive compliments from others without the awkward feeling that we should discount or disregard them. To the glory of God, others see something good in you! Your Father wants you to receive positive words with joy and then to lift that encouragement in praise to him, the source of anything good seen by others: “Freely receive the encouragements you are offered from others as you serve Christ. Then genuinely praise the Lord for those encouragements.”6
What other ways have you found to triangulate praise and petitions?
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