Why Do We Keep Treating Our Salvation Like a Debt That Needs To Be Paid?

I’m in a small group that meets on Tuesday nights. If I could just pop in here and give a small plug for small groups, it would be that I think you all should be in one. It is so good to be able to grow and sharpen iron together as relationships build amongst the group! Anyways, for the past 3-4 months, we have been doing a study on Galatians. As a 24-year-old Christian, I think I can fall prey to what Galatians 2 is talking about. The biggest thing I have learned through this study is that there is no work or deed that can give us salvation.

God died for us, and in doing that he paid for our sins yet we go on trying to save ourselves by doing good. It’s not about the works that you do. I’m not saying to stop doing good things; I am saying to stop thinking that good things are worthy of your salvation. Try to think of it from this example. A guy is in jail for life, for doing something terrible. In jail he does everything right, he never gets in trouble and does all the good things to make his time go smoothly. That guy does everything right but guess what; he still has to be in jail. All of his right that he is doing is not making up for that wrong that got him in there in the first place.

 

Just like in that example, we are all sinners that will always have sin in our life. Our job is not to try to do as many good things as possible to make ourselves feel better, our job is to have a relationship with God. When the relationship is there, you will want to do good things because that desire comes out of love for God. When that relationship isn’t there, your desire turns into settling a debt.

 

The most important verse in this chapter, in my opinion, is verse 21. It reads, “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” This is huge to understand. If we stick to the idea that we are going to make up for our sin than GOD DIED FOR NO REASON!

 

One of the best things I have learned from the study I am going through is to not only repent of your sins but to also repent of your righteousness. Confusing at first, but remember that our good deeds will never be good enough to save us from our sins.

 

Today, meditate on your life. Think about if you have been doing good deeds for the wrong reason. Have a great Thursday everyone!

Men Who Want to be Pleased

As we transition from Paul’s letters to the Corinthians to his letters to the Galatians we might hope for a more peaceful episode.  The Corinthian church, along with Paul directly, was attacked by false teachers.  Paul’s letters to the Corinthians were tough to read, in the sense that it is uncomfortable to read about the church under attack.  Though we might long to turn the page and find a pleasant account of everything going right easily, that is not what we get.  The church is again under siege by false teachers.  This time in Galatia.  

Free from man-pleasing

Paul opens this letter and gets right to the point.  In first-century letters, the first thing the writer did was identify himself.  Whereas now, we identify the writer at the end of the letter.  Paul fits in the point of his letter directly in the first order of business.  This tells us how aggressively he pursued to cleanse the church in Galatia of man-pleasing.

Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) – Galatians 1:1

Paul is an apostle and he was made one by Christ, who God raised from the dead, not by anything of men nor by men.  This opening chapter and this letter go on to lay out the doctrine first revealed in John 8:32:  

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. – John 8:32

Jesus is the truth. The false teachers were holding on to a false position in legalism that placed them above others, claiming God through the law.  Jesus sets his followers free from the law’s eternal wages.  (Galatians 2:16)

Two types of man-pleasing

6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:  7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.  9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.  10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. – Galatians 1:6-19

There is so much here to discuss but I want to focus in on verse ten.  The strait statement that if Paul should seek to please men, he would not be a servant of Christ.  A simple if, then, statement of truth.  If we seek to please men, then we are not serving Christ.  Are we seeking pleasing men? 

The first type of man-pleasing that comes to mind is the exhausting burden of trying to please people.  The other day my business partner and I were at lunch discussing a seemingly difficult situation.  After too much talk, he said, “What if we just focused on God’s glory and didn’t worry about anything else?” Amen! Amen! The weight was lifted and our trust in the LORD ushered in the peace that transcends all understanding.  He is Good!  He is worthy of our trust!  He is trustworthy!  Praise God for freedom in the truth!  

The second type of man-pleasing is found in the introspection that there is another man who desires to be pleased.  Self.  It is not enough to let go of aiming to please others, we must also die to ourselves to be truly free.  Here is another question that brings freedom, this time from self.

“What if we set aside all our goals, everything we desire, weather seemingly good or not, and focused on God’s glory, trusting Him with everything we desire?”  Do we trust in God’s promises enough to commit all our goals to him and pursue His Glory alone? (Matthew 6:32-34, Proverbs 16:3, Mark 10:29-31, Luke 6:38 (what if we gave our desires to the LORD?), Matthew 6:10, Matthew 6:19-24, Luke 12:29-31, Colossians 3:1-4, Romans 8:5)

The last questions were in a different business conversation this past week as a friend and I wrestled with the “balance” of letting go and pushing/working hard.  I have come to believe that there is no balance required when trusting in God.  I am suspicious that any advice that points to balance as what is needed when considering priorities is faulty.  God wants to be number one on a list of one.  He wants us all in.  (Luke 9:62, Luke 9:23-24)

 

God, may we have single eyes for You. May Your kingdom come reign in our hearts.  May Your will replace our will.  May our hearts and eyes be for You and on You always. May our desires be committed to You in thanksgiving and contentment.  May we release them to Your care and loving kindness.  May You be gentle with us God.  We are sinners in the world.  May we never be of the world.  Amen.  

Justified by Faith ~ Freedom in Christ

Welcome to Galatia. Where life by many is lived by the law. Where your merit and what you do, means more than anything. This idea of, what do you do?; in contrast to, Who do you follow? Or the question of, what law or rules are you following? instead of,  Who do you have a relationship with?

The book of Galatians has been called the charter of Christian Freedom according to a couple study bibles.  Who better to write this letter than apostle Paul (formerly Saul). The story of Paul’s miraculous conversion on the road to Damascus is necessary story to the people in Galatia, it is necessary to us, it is necessary to me. Here’s a reminder. (Acts 26:5-23) As I reflect on this story, I think that when the Lord gives you an opportunity today write down or share your “Damascus Road” experience with someone who needs Christ will I? Will you? 

Paul wrote this letter to defend his apostleship and to defend the authority of the Gospel. To help the Galatians turn from legalism to faith in Jesus. This issue can still be present today where we try to earn God’s favor through doing so many things, following rituals, or obeying a set of rules.  I found a great reminder for myself in Our Daily Bread: Rhythms of Grace. It reminded me to take a second to pause and take inventory of your life: “If you find that Christianity exhausts you, draining you of your energy, then you are practicing religion rather than enjoying your relationship with Jesus. Your walk with the Lord will not make you weary; it will invigorate you, restore your strength, and energize your life” ( Matthew 11:28-29)

Paul gives a realistic picture of the challenges of transitioning from a religion based on rules to one based on a relationship with Jesus Christ. From a life based on entitlement, to one given through grace; to a life not lived out through our flesh, but through the power of the Holy Spirit.

So are we working for Him, or walking with Him? While you read through Galatians be reminded that we are justified by faith not just the law. ( Galatians 2:20 Galatians 3:10-11) That our list of do’s and don’ts doesn’t confine us, it is our relationship with the Lord. We have freedom in our faith in Christ alone.  He is all we need now and for eternity. (1 John 2:1-2)

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for your grace. I accept that I am just like everyone else and can’t do any of this life on my own.  We are imperfect in so many ways and prone to sin. There is nothing we can do that makes me better than anyone else.  You love us so much you gave yourself up on the cross for me. That’s a grace so amazing that I can’t wrap my head around it, I can only accept this free gift and know that I’m saved.  I pray for guidance and willingness to submit the rest of my life to you.  That as we walk together I grow my faith and serve you with continued joy.  As we read through Galatians keep your words through Paul in our hearts.

Amen

 

Grace, Love and Fellowship

As I read the last chapter of Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, I had a difficult time deciding just what to write to you about today. There are lots of good lessons here for us to consider in 2 Corinthians 13. The primary theme is the importance of self-reflection in the form of spiritual check-ups. He encourages the Corinthians to be ever aware of Christ’s presence in our lives and to take active steps toward growing closer to God. As we celebrate Father’s Day today, I’m aware of the parallels between Paul’s role as an elder or father figure to the early Christian’s and our relationship with our Heavenly Father. I think it’s a wonderful reminder to us that our perfect Father is in heaven. Our connection with Him is unbreakable, despite our sin.

In reading notes and commentary for today, I found myself returning to verse 11 over and over:

“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live and peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” 2 Corinthians 13:11

Who among us doesn’t need a little restoration? The NIV Study Bible ends its commentary on Corinthians 13 with this:

“Paul was dealing with an ongoing problem in the Corinthian church. He could have refused to communicate until they cleared up their situation, but he loved them and reached out to them again with the love of Christ. Love, however means that sometimes we must confront those we care about. We can be legalistic and blast people away with the laws they should be obeying. We can turn away from them because we don’t want to face the situation. We can isolate them by gossiping about their problem and turning others against them. Or like Paul, we can seek to build relationship by taking a better approach-sharing, communicating and caring.”

I know that I’ve done all these wrong things in my relationships. How often are we short sighted and give up on someone we love when we grow impatient with their sin. I close examination reveals that some people close to me may have given up or refused to communicate with me until I cleaned up my sin. Paul’s message of the importance of restoration both in our own spiritual life and in our relationship with others is powerful. I’m grateful for the opportunity to first hear it and then share it with you today.

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:14

 

Have a great week.

 

 

Problem or Possiblity?

2 Corinthians 12

I read an interesting blog post last week from Seth Godin.  He talks about making two lists.  On the first, we list all of our troubles and ailments.  The second gets filled with our opportunities, strengths and talents.  Godin’s challenge is to choose, intentionally, which list you are going to focus on.  This list, you will read everyday.  There is no question that the list you choose will shape your day, your year and your life.  I found this axiom playing out in today’s reading as well.  As you know, Paul suffered from an ailment.  A “thorn” in his flesh.

Paul wanted nothing to do with his affliction.  Who would?  In fact, as it drew his attention and distracted his purpose, he did exactly what I would do.  He “begged God to remove it” (2 Corinthians 12:8).  (I would have added some complaining and self-loathing to the equation.)  As Paul persisted in begging God for relief, he was continually denied, which produced an interesting crossroad for Paul.  Just as Godin suggests, he had two choices.  Either focus on the his debilitating weakness, and wonder why God would do such a thing to him, or accept God’s sovereignty.

No matter our hardship, if we accept God’s sovereignty and authority in all things, He will offer us solutions.  Rather than shut God off, Paul continued to submit and listen.  As he did, God provided him with encouragement, assuring him that grace was all he needed.  Immediately upon his acceptance, Paul understood that any affliction, when compared to the grace that God supplies is irrelevant.  All work is possible despite our human weakness.  In fact, it is in our weakness that God receives the most glory.  Why?  Because without Him, our affliction is debilitating and the work is impossible to complete.

Paul’s new understanding prompts gratitude.  He comments that, “I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift” (2 Corinthians 12:9, MSG).

Take a moment to list of all your troubles, as Seth Godin suggests.  Now, imagine that they may never go away.  Rather than tuck them away in a drawer, consider what will change in your life when you submit them to Gods sovereignty and treat them as a gift, not a curse.  I find incredible peace in that exercise. The peace comes not from a second list of my strengths, but  from God’s presence.  It is His power, His strength, His glory, His perfection and His grace that make me whole.

Is It Worth It?

2 Corinthians 11

What can I physically and emotionally endure? How much pain, stress, and anguish can I take? Well, probably not as much as Paul. He states in this chapter five times he received thirty-nine lashes by the Jews. Three times he was beaten with rods. He tells us here he was stoned which we remember from Acts 14. Stoning is intended to kill a person. Three times he was lost at sea and shipwrecked. He references threats from both his own people, the Jews, as well as the Gentiles, the Romans.

Let’s stop and reflect on that for a second. The two dominant groups at the time were the Romans who wanted to kill Christians for denouncing that Caesar was God and Jews who wanted to persecute Christians as well because they did not believe Jesus was the true Messiah. Both wanted Paul dead. He also references danger from the wilderness, hunger, thirst, the cold, and not to mention false brothers here. Whew! Quite the list!

Let’s revert to Acts 14 where Paul was stoned in Lystra for a moment. They dragged him out of the city thinking he was dead (Acts 14:19). He was not though, and we are told by Luke here in Acts that not only did he get up and go to Derbe to preach the next day, but when he was done there he went back to Lystra where he was just stoned! We are told in Acts 14:22 he was “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

I recently finished a great book which I highly recommend called What Is God Really Like? Each chapter is written by an all-star team of pastors. One pastor gives an analogy by asking the question whether you would tell a surgeon operating on a loved one to save their life to hurry up? I don’t know what you are going through right now, and it may be something very terrible and for that I am extremely empathetic and sympathetic so I hope this is not taken the wrong way. But, whatever pain and anguish Satan is causing you (because it is not God..see Romans 8:1), God is using that which Satan thinks is for his glory to positively shape your heart and soul into the person he wants you to become and to impact those around you. He is performing a delicate surgery in just the right amount of time to make it a perfect and successful one. Although God may not reveal the answer now or even in this lifetime, we must ask ourselves what God may be wanting to do in our lives and the lives of those around us through this to reveal his glory?  Let’s learn from Paul. Would you be ok with your present or future suffering if through it you could help just one person know Jesus and have eternal life in Heaven? If not one, what about ten people…or one thousand… or maybe even ten thousand people?

God is the supreme potter. He is shaping what looks like a mess of sloppy clay which is your life into his masterpiece. Have you ever looked at the backside of a beautifully crocheted piece? It looks like a huge jumbled mess with colors in the wrong places and different size strands hanging off of it everywhere. This is how we see our lives and how Satan wants us to see it. Flip over that crocheted piece, and what do you see? Again, it is a perfect picture, a masterpiece. THAT is what God sees because he sees our entire life and the lives of those around us.

Ultimately, all we can do in tough times is go back to the only truth that exists and that is the Word. Romans 8:28 tells us, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for the good of those who are called according to his purpose.”  I don’t know what pain and suffering I, or you, may go through in this life and quite frankly I don’t want to think about it. Jesus tells us not to worry about it (Matthew 6:34). But, I know one thing, my life here on Earth of somewhere between 33 and hopefully 80 to 100 years is like one grain of sand amongst all the beaches of the Earth when compared to the length of eternity. Romans 8:18 tells us, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” A week ago we read 2 Corinthians 4:17 which says, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” I struggle with this like most, but I am growing to try to enjoy the precious present of each day, and I am extremely grateful for Jesus’ saving grace on the cross. When we see his face and spend eternity with him and others who the Holy Spirit helped be saved through our earthly lives, there will be no doubt to the answer to the question, was it worth it?

 

 

BE BOLD

2 Corinthians 10

By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! 2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.

BOLD. What connotations does this word bring to mind? First three words you think of are? I think of the color red, LeBron James (since the NBA playoffs are going on) and Rafael Nadal (I wrote part of this last weekend when the French Open was on TV). Whether or not you like the President, he is certainly bold, and, as Paul writes, he is definitely not timid when you come face to face.  How about bold characters in the Bible?  John the Baptist is the first that comes to my mind.  The transformed Peter.  How about Moses?

Today’s passage is interesting to me. How can you be timid yet bold? We all know people who’s “bark is worse than his bite”. We all have received cutting emails and then once we have a conversation face to face, things change. I wonder about our next generations and their use of social media. They are oftentimes extremely bold in statements, pictures, actions, yet face to face communication is not a skill. A bit scary to me. As you think about the world today, are you bold or meek or both?

In the case of Paul, he has written bold letters to Corinthians, writing as an apostle for Christ. He is trying to convey his strong messages to the strike fear in the people, such as in his letter of warning in 1 Corinthians. He is bold in trying to convince the people to follow God’s ways. To take the instruction he is giving to heart. To change their ways. He writes these letters in a bold manner, yet he admits he is timid and has a gentleness in him, almost holding him back from preaching the Gospel in a live setting. Many of us have that problem: public speaking is not our thing and we have to convey our thoughts in writing.  Are we as bold as we can be in telling others about our beliefs?  Or are we meek when face to face?

 So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. 9 I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. 10 For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” 1

Paul fully understands how he is perceived by others. He wants to be convincing, not scary.  He then goes on to talk about not comparing ourselves to others, noting we should not boast. I go back to one of my posts on judging others. We should not be judging others as God is truly the only one offering final judgment. It is the same with boasting and comparing ourselves to others. God made us all unique individuals. We should not boast that we are better than others, nor should we spend time comparing ourselves to others.   We should be focusing on living out God’s word, following his instructions, following Paul’s guidance to us.

I think this verse says it all:   7 But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[b] 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

Will you be bold enough to boast in the Lord today?

The Best Giver

Read through 2 Corinthians 9 today, and I dare you to find someone who is a better giver than our God.

I can’t help but compare the way that I give, love and serve to the way that God gives, loves and serves after reading 2 Corinthians 9 today. Perhaps you did the same as you read through this chapter. The Message version puts 2 Corinthians 9:8-11 in terms that resonate a lot with me:

God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,

He throws caution to the winds,
    giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
His right-living, right-giving ways
    never run out, never wear out.

This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.

One of the things that strikes me most about this chapter of Scripture is something that’s mentioned in the last part of the section above. The verse says that what God gives us is something that we can also turn around and give away… how amazing is that? To me, this means that God is such an extravagant giver that He gives us enough for us to be able to be provided for and to STILL give to others out of that overflow.

I’ve seen this play out in my own life on a daily basis, noticing that when I consistently take time to be with the Lord in the morning before my day even starts, I am much more filled up and ready to give to others throughout the day. I try to remind myself that you can’t pour from an empty cup, and that phrase reminds me of 2 Corinthians 9. If we aren’t being filled with the Holy Spirit regularly, God cannot give to us what we need for that day, and in turn, we can’t give out of that overflow to others.

Since we serve a God Who is such an extravagant giver and Who WANTS to give to us abundantly and supply each of our needs, let us remember to we need to do our part and ACCEPT those incredible gifts each day. My hope is that through doing so, we too will become extravagant givers, servants to, and lovers of those God puts in our paths every single day.

Generous Giving

Today’s reading is 2 Cor 8

Today we get to look at a pretty straight forward but very rich text. I am a person who loves to give gifts. I find so much joy in seeing someone light up with excitement when I have found the perfect trinket for that person. I love purchasing gifts that make people laugh because of a mutual experience we have shared and the gift is a reminder of that event. I even enjoy gifting people with help (mostly food, flowers or some manual labor) or a gift of time listening to their worries, sadnesses or problems. Even as a natural born gifter, I am challenged by Paul’s words in this chapter of Corinthians to evaluate my willingness and generosity around giving.

I want to look at a list of the directions Paul gives us in this chapter.

1-vs 3, Give not only what you can afford, but far more.

2-vs 3, Give of your own free will.

3-vs 4, Ask over and over for the privilege of sharing with others.

4-vs 5, Do more than others hope for.

5-vs 7, Excel in the gracious act of giving.

6-vs 8,Our genuine love for others is shown by our level of generosity.

7-vs 9, Jesus is the ultimate example of generosity because He left the riches of heaven, but for our sakes became poor, so that His poverty could make us rich.

8-vs 10-11, Finish the gift that you start giving. Complete your commitments.

9-vs 11, Give in proportion to what you have.

10-vs 12, Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly.

11-vs 13, Our giving shouldn’t make life easy for others and hard for ourselves.

12-vs 16-24, If you are in the position of handling or managing other people’s gifts, make sure that you bring at least one other person along to be sure there is no chance for mismanagement. Make sure that the people whose gifts you manage have complete faith in your system of checks and balances, so the gifters have assurance that their full gift is ending up where they expect it to be.

I love this list! It challenges me to think differently when I am giving of myself. Read through the list again and see which ones affect your heart. Take a few seconds to sit with each one and check yourself for compliance. Today, the one that hit me is, “Do more than others hope for”. I like it because it is simple and with a little thought or a small gesture it would be easy for me to accomplish this one. How much sweeter would my life be if every day I looked for a way to do more for one person than they hope for? (If I choose someone who expects nothing of me, this gets really simple!) It can be as small as a smile or a greeting to anyone you come into contact with. If I choose someone in my home, how much more appreciated or loved will my family feel if they get some help they were not expecting? If I can add number 10 to number 4 and do whatever I am doing for others eagerly, what kind of an impact can it make in others lives? My ultimate goal is to be like Christ. Willing to leave the riches of heaven to come to earth so our lives could be purchased and then we get to experience the riches of heaven. If this is my standard, my goal…doesn’t giving a little more of my time, energy, and resources seem almost trivial?

I’ll end with one quick last thought. As I read a commentary on this passage in preparation for writing today one sentence kind of stabbed me in the heart. It said,” Best wishes, good intentions, desire and eager willingness are no substitute for good deeds”. So often I hear of a situation or know about a need or struggle of a friend, and can’t find time in my “busy” schedule to do the thing that God is asking me to do for that person. My desire to help someone does NOTHING for their need. I actually have to DO something!

Refreshed

“Make room for us in your hearts” (2 Corinthians 7:2). Paul writes this toward the beginning of Chapter 7 of 2 Corinthians, and I just love it. First, a bit of context. It would never have occurred to me that some may not have welcomed Paul upon his arrival in Macedonia, where the Corinthian church was located. But many did not! In fact, Paul tells us, “Even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn – fighting without and fear within” (2 Corinthians 7:5). Paul and his companions were tired and troubled. Can you relate? I know I can.

It’s interesting to note how Paul responds when he is exhausted and stressed. First, he knows the source of his comfort: God. Next, Paul explains the means by which God comforted him: “(God) comforted us by the arrival of Titus”. Knowing Paul was stretched thin personally and professionally, God sent a brother in the faith to encourage him. Take a minute to think about when God has sent someone to you at a time when you really needed encouragement. I remember when I was going through a difficult time, my college roommate arrived on my doorstep – uninvited, after driving for an hour in the middle of a New England winter! And this was before cell phones – so she wasn’t even sure I’d be home! But she showed up. She listened. She encouraged me. She made me laugh. And when she left for work the next morning, I felt comforted. God sent her to me, knowing I needed encouragement.

Did you think of someone who encouraged you? Perhaps you might call or send them a quick text thanking them for comforting you.

Paul also notes that Titus himself was encouraged by the Corinthian people. The very people who Paul was ministering to encouraged the person sent to comfort Paul! Listen to what Paul writes: “And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.” (2 Corinthians 7:13) Could my friend possibly have been encouraged by me as well, as Titus was by the Corinthians? I’m not sure – I certainly was more focused on receiving than giving comfort at that time in my life. But maybe I did encourage her in some way, and maybe someone who encouraged you also received comfort from you, or those around you, at the same time.

Finally, Paul notes that he himself was encouraged when the Corinthian people encouraged Titus. Paul writes, “But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you…so that I rejoiced still more.” (2 Corinthians 7:6-7) What a full-circle idea! Paul is troubled and tired. God sends Titus to encourage Paul. The Corinthians encourage Titus, and this fact also encourages Paul. Amazing!

How can we apply this to our own lives? First, we must look for ways that God wants to use us to comfort and encourage others. And when He calls us to do so, we must respond. Second – and this is perhaps even more difficult – we must be open to receiving comfort and encouragement. So many of us – me included – have a difficult time asking for help, or receiving it when it is offered. Perhaps if we consider the help a divine intervention from God, we will be more ready and willing to accept it, and allow ourselves to be refreshed.