Encouraging Words

Today’s reading:  2 Corinthians 4

I’ve had several interesting, and occasionally frustrating, experiences navigating the politics of corporate America this week.  While today’s text in 2 Corinthians 4 was written for the purpose of encouraging Corinthian Christians who were confronting false teaching, not for corporate politics, I still found Paul’s key messages applicable.  May I share with you his encouraging words?

  • Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God (2 Corinthians 4:2).  God commands us to be honest in all situations, anything less is sin. Manipulating God’s word is false teaching.  Deception in human interactions also erodes trust, inhibiting us from experiencing meaningful relationships with others.
  • For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake (2 Corinthians 4:5). Paul’s teaching always pointed to Jesus, it was never about himself. Messages that don’t align with God’s word and don’t point people to Jesus are false teaching. In contrast, putting aside our selfish ways, serving God and loving others can bring joy and fulfillment in even the most challenging situations.
  • But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:7-9). In our times of weakness, God’s strength can sustain us to stay the course. These times are opportunities for him to demonstrate his power. If we accept him as Lord, he will never abandon us.
  • So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). Our short life on Earth is not all we have. If we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can look forward an eternity in the presence of God. One that is free from pain and suffering.

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

 

Beauty Revealed

The word beauty immediately sparks many images in my mind.

There are the typical images many of us would first mention… The Grand Canyon, sunrises, sunsets, a starry night, a bride walking down the aisle, etc.

When meditating further on “beauty”, more extensive thoughts come to mind… a solid marriage, the smell of a baby’s forehead (I could write a book on this), a soaring bald eagle (I finally was able to see one fairly close just two weeks ago… mind blowing!), the sound of a waterfall, a hug at just the right time, string instruments played together with precision and grace, a swimmer exhibiting a perfect stroke gliding through the water…

As we set our focus on words like beauty, power, wisdom and truth (attributes of God) I see this as an act of worship when the mindset gives the glory to our creator, the creator of all good and beautiful things, our mighty God.

With this, as we intentionally take beauty in, it is a conscious act. Sometimes we can have beauty right in front of us, but if we don’t notice and actively consume the beauty, it is as though it is hidden and we miss it.

Today’s reading link: 2 Corinthians 3

I see a parallel in today’s chapter with taking in beauty as opposed to beauty almost being hidden. As I share Jesus with “future” believers, I often sense a response that tells me they just don’t see it. These are typically intelligent and wise people, however it seems like the beauty of Christ is hidden much like how the following verses refer to a veil covering their hearts, thus hardening their minds.

But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. (2 Corinthians 3:14-16)

Jesus’ perfect life was marked by beauty, and even his death while gruesome, was beauty because of what it represented. Further, what greater, more beautiful act can one commit than to defeat death?

Father God, we are all sinners and that sin separates us from you. Show us our selfish and wrong ways so that we may repent in the name of your son Jesus, and what a beautiful name it is. Lift the veil from those who do not yet know your son as lord of their lives. Show us opportunities to share your love, grace, mercy, truth, and beauty. Amen.

Men of Society vs. Men of God

I grew up in a house full of almost all brothers, I played football and baseball, and worked for the family business in some way since I was 12. Needless to say, I knew how to be a guy. I was around other guys all of the time; I learned many important life lessons from other guys in my life. For example, I learned how to take a punch in the shoulder and always come back with a straight face saying, “that didn’t hurt, you hit like my sister!” In reality, my shoulder was killing me! I learned that society looks to men to be the strong, emotionless figures that can handle every situation put at them. I learned that it’s better to not cry because crying makes you look weak. The problem with these few learning tips that I have pointed out is that they are all lies. They are lies to cover things up. They are temporary solutions that only result in a bigger fallout in the future.

 

You might be wondering how I am going to tie this into 2 Corinthians 2. That’s a great question. If you read that chapter you start to realize something. Paul has these deep emotions that guys from our culture tend to not have. Paul says in verse 4, “For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you,” and verse 13, “my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.”

 

Notice the key words in those two verses: affliction, anguish, many tears, abundant love, and my spirit was not at rest. These are all feelings and emotion that Paul, a man, had.

 

So if you are a guy out there and you’re reading this, struggling with the same lies that the culture puts on our hearts every day. Remember this passage. Remember that being a man centered on Christ does not mean you are weak and emotional, it means that you have realized that you can’t do this on your own! God is our strength, and through our weakness, he is made strong.

 

Today, men, take some time to pray for God to make a change in your life. Pray for a softening of your heart. Pray that he will convict you to moments where you are acting more like society tells you to act than God tells you to act. I promise it will be a struggle but it will cause us to rely more on God. I’m up for this challenge. Are you?

Lost Letters

Have you ever talked with someone about things in their life that were hurting them? It could have been alcohol, drugs, abuse, lying, meanness… the list can go on.  Maybe you have taken it even a step further and intentionally took time to mentor, coach, or were directive and intentional about sharing steps to help lead that person to a place that would change their life for the positive. Prayerfully eternal changes.  Really, a life closer to God.

If you have children I know this is part of our daily parenting.  Besides our own children who we will leave our biggest impact on, who are you filling into? Who are you guiding, planting seeds of hope, and eternal future?  Personally,  I know I can and need to be more intentional in my conversations and recognize the need from others. To be more courageous in sharing God’s love. I plan to use some of the tips shared yesterday from Jillian in The Last Word is Love.

Next question, has there been a time where you were mentoring and it seemed like it had worked? Like it was all good.  Coaching success!  Then unfortunately, you find out they are back to their old ways.  The bad habit had crept back in and the pressures of our worldly desires or influences took hold and brought them back to where they were, maybe worse.  Then to top it off, the person you were pouring into was making negative comments about you and your motives.  I personally can relate, I’ve been on both sides of this fence.  Most of my younger years the wrong side of the fence. This is where Paul was when he started to write 2 Corinthians. Paul was feeling saddened, frustrated, displeased at the church he had founded just four years earlier. He thought they had listened and his previous letter giving specific instructions to moral issues. In this letter Paul shows courage to speak up to those who were slandering him and his ministry, Paul defends our God against those who were twisting the truth.

In referring to a couple study bibles on the themes for 2 Corinthians here are reflecting points as we read and reflect.

  • Suffering/Trials – Paul had experienced it all.  Suffering, persecution, he paid a price for service to Christ and the gospel. 2 Cor. 6:3-13,  2 Cor. 11:16 -33. Reminder – God is faithful. He will provide the strength we need for any trial.
  • Giving – 2 Cor. 8 and 9 Paul lays out detailed ways of giving. Reminder for us is our giving and generosity of whatever helps those in need and allows them to thank God.
  • Sound Doctrine/Apologetic’s – Paul shares how to represent Christ. The boldness to share the gospel and boast in the grace that we have all received.  Paul does all this with Love.  2 Cor. 12:7-10

As we read through 2 Corinthians notice how Paul affirms, defends, and stands up to false teachers. Corinth was full of people who wanted to do everything their own way.  Making others look bad by talking about them.  Paul reminds them, he reminds us, that they are a new creation, ambassadors for Christ. 2 Cor. 5:17-20.  That in all the stress, anxieties that they go through, that we go through, it is encouraging to know that God has a divine plan for us to be part of His eternal kingdom.  So our mission while in this temporal world is to point others that way and to please Him.  2 Cor. 5:9

I recently read that Paul had written 2 other letters to the Corinthians and now they are physically lost.  Let’s not lose these and their instructions for us.

 

Dear Father,

As we read your word today we pray for the courage of Paul to always want to please you.  To be ambassadors for you and to let others know about the grace you have given us and them. That these worldly desires that the Corinthians face and we face today are temporal, and that the indescribable gift of a “new creation” covered by Your love is available to everyone.  We pray for obedience in all we do and a heart that will boast of Your love and goodness always.  We pray to listen and follow Your will until the day you come to take us home to you. Amen

 

References:

Tyndale Life Applications Study Bible

The Jeremiah Study Bible

The Last Word is Love

Today’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 16

Today we finish the final letter written by Paul to the Corinthians. Of his thirteen letters to them, this final message is the only one that finishes with love. As with all of his glorious writing I feel more connected to the people of the Corinthian church and to Paul. For me, the most significant piece of today’s letter begins in verse 13:

“Be watchful and stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

 Five final instructions. Five objectives to live by in order to truly follow Jesus Christ. These instructions were written in the present tense. They are meant to be a living, ongoing journey. I wrote these five instructions with notes next to each of them that pertain to how I can live like a Corinthian. I’m going to share them here in hopes that it might inspire you to write your own response to Paul’s 5 final instructions.

Be Watchful

  • Jesus could come at anytime. Would I want Him to meet me tomorrow? Is my behavior, my speech and my actions a representation of my Christianity?
  • Watch for those that seek division rather than unity. Am I taking part in divisive conversation that compromises His church?

Stand Firm in the Faith

  • Social media, marketing and societal pressure can often lead me astray. Am I placing worldly goods above God? Am I putting Jesus at the center or my iPhone?
  • I know the enemy uses temptation to convince me to put other God’s before Him.
  • Am I standing strong in the face of the enemy? Am I giving in to temptation when I’m not around my Christian friends?

Act Like Men

  • Well….I’m a woman but I think what Paul is telling us here is to be courageous. Be a dangerous witness.
  • “Man or Wo-man up”

Be Strong

  • We can do all things through Christ. Paul is urging us to be strengthened by his love and mercy. We know that we are too weak to do it alone but through the Holy Spirit we are bolstered by His eternal strength.

Let all that you do be done in love

  • Love the Lord first and then love one another.
  • Challenge yourself to find something to love in every person
  • Reach out to someone that needs Christ’s love

 I love these “rules” set forth by Paul. They teach us how to be united as a church and how to truly live with one another until He comes again. When I finished studying this chapter, I began to imagine God watching us all as if we are on an episode of Survivor! He knows what each of the challenges will be and he wants us to rise as Jesus taught us. At the end of his letter, Paul finishes with love:

“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.” 1 Corinthians 16:24

 If you are reading today, my love is with you.  Have a great week.

First Importance

Today’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 15

Are you good at prioritizing?  Can you focus your thoughts and actions on the one thing that makes the most difference? The truthful answer for me is “no.”  I am continuously overwhelmed with the number of choices available to me.  Combine that with external pressures from friends, family, co-workers and Christians and its likely that I will choose poorly.  Apparently, the Corinthian church wasn’t any different.  They engaged every kind of dialogue and strategy to be better people. To “be closer” to God.  To fulfill their potential.  While their effort may have been noble, just like ours, their result was failure.  You see, in our attempt to define what God wants for our lives and how he wants us to live them, we lose sight of the most important thing.  It’s what Paul calls “first importance.”

I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 1 Corinthians 15:3-5

I love Paul’s gentle reminder in those verses.  He’s telling the Corinthians, and us, in our busy and distracted lives, not to forget the most important thing.  It doesn’t matter what our spiritual gift(s) is, or if we can speak in tongues, or if we can prophesy.  Only one thing matters.  The Gospel.  That’s right.  Christ died for our sins, was buried and was raised on the third day.  How is this helpful?  Simply put, it brings us in touch with his perfect grace.  The grace that allows us, sinners, idolaters and haters to live in harmony with our perfect creator.  Paul was clearly in touch with his need for the grace found within the Gospel.  He says, “I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle” (1 Corinthians 15:9, NLT).  Despite Paul’s unworthiness, he knows that hope and abundant life come through, “the grace of God that is with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

That’s it.  That’s the thing of first importance.  It’s the understanding that we are sinners and acknowledging that God is willing to look past it, because of Jesus.  When we are continuously in touch with both our need for God’s grace and the reality of God’s grace, new life is upon us.  Looking again to Paul, we can see this at work.  He “[worked] harder than any of them” (1 Corinthians 15:10).  No, that does not mean he was earning it.  Paul’s hard work was a response of worship.  He wanted to be sure that God’s precious gift, his glorious grace was not wasted.  He lived in the reality of God’s grace.  All the time.

Tongues and Tebowing

Today’s reading is 1 Corinthians 14.

I must have looked at the schedule of dates, chapters, and writers nearly five times just to make sure that my day to write and topic was 1 Corinthians 14 on speaking in tongues. Yes..the schedule was the same the fifth time I checked as it was the first! Thankfully, a few weeks ago my brother in Christ, David LaFrance told me about Pastor John MacArthur’s Grace to You app which has sermons on every chapter in the Bible, and it had 4 on this chapter alone. In listening to a few, I didn’t feel quite as inept and nervous to write on it, not only because of John’s teaching and clarification, but also because John said this chapter was without a doubt the hardest to understand in 1 Corinthians and maybe the Bible. He also said he has read close to 50 books on this chapter and the topic of speaking in tongues and no two authors fully agreed on everything. That was my sigh of relief you just heard that I don’t need to get everything just right, and I just needed to pray for guidance and attempt to do my best.

John gives some great context in that the Corinthians were seeking a state of ecstasy, not only in their own homes and personal time with God, but also while in the church and around others. They were looking for an out of body type experience. It is also important as we read this to understand that John states the word “prophesy” was not used to describe predicting the future until the Middle Ages. In fact, merriam-webster.com defines prophesy as “to give instruction in a religious matter.” It also gives the word preach as a synonym. This is what Paul was referring to. John also states that the purpose of the church is to edify people about God. Merriam-Webster.com defines edify as “to instruct or improve…” If we understand these two definitions, then we can more clearly understand in 1 Corinthians 14:1-5 what Paul is saying in that preaching and using your spiritual gifts within the church is to help others more clearly understand and to glorify God is what is important. Being in your own state of ecstasy by speaking in a tongue no one can understand is not right because it helps only yourself. In fact, John  MacArthur goes as far as to say that if you use a spiritual gift only for yourself it is a sin and you are prostituting that gift given by God. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:1-5 that especially within the church, it is much better to preach because you are helping others.

Some may ask about Acts 2 where the Holy Spirit comes on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came and many spoke in tongues. John clarifies this is different because when the Holy Spirit truly comes like in Acts 2, everyone understands each other and the different tongues/languages which are being spoken. In this instance, God is being glorified and edification occurs because everyone understands each other. In Corinth, each individual was speaking a tongue/language which no one else could understand in public in the church. John MacArthur also interprets what Paul is saying to be the singular word for tongue which is also translated as gibberish. No one can understand gibberish, except for the one speaking it, so it is not used to help others better understand God.

So, how can we put this into context within our world and lives today? As I mentioned in our introduction to 1 Corinthians two weeks ago, not too much has changed. We still live in a society seeking ecstasy and personal experience. We are encouraged by others, advertisements, and entertainment sources to do whatever feels good to you, and it is all about you. I could just say one word that sums this up..selfie. However, I will say two words that amplifies even more the gravity and depth of our self-centered nature and the all about me world we live in…selfie-stick.

Paul tells us here in 1 Corinthians 5,12, and 26 that it’s not about you. The purpose of the gifts God gives us is to build up the church and the purpose of the church is to bring beauty to her bridegroom, Jesus. Just a few days ago we studied 1 Corinthians 10:31 which says, “So whether you eat or dink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” And then in 1 Corinthians 10:33, “just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they might be saved.”

Let me use on example of the gift of athletic abilities and sport. I have heard many Christians even criticize Tim Tebow for his outspokenness about his faith, thanking God in interviews after victories, and for “tebowing” after a touchdown. I once read a book where Bobby Knight was quoted as saying he didn’t have his teams pray before games because God didn’t want his team to win more than the other team, and God was not going to parachute down and make a basket for them when they needed it. I think many Christians take this posture and for example, think it’s wrong to mix sport and faith. They think athletic gifts are just athletic gifts and not for God’s glory and that when Tebow thanks God after winning a game that he’s saying God wanted him and his team to win more than the other team. I didn’t used to like it when athletes thanked God after victories as well. However, I missed the point. Tim is not saying God wanted his team to win more. What Tim is saying is that it’s not about him. God gave Tim the gift of athletic ability in order to glorify him and not only is Tim thanking him for these gifts, but most importantly, he’s actually using these gifts to glorify God, spread the Gospel, and model the love of Christ so others can see and will be drawn to Christ’s love by what he does both on and off the field.

Just like speaking in a tongue (gibberish), what good is the gift of athletic ability if you are only using it to benefit yourself and for your own selfish desires and not to bring glory to God and bless others? I’m very passionate about the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The FCA’s vision is “to see the world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes.” Tim embodies this. He is impacting others for Christ through sport and the athletic abilites God his given him just as God is instructing us to do in 1 Corinthians 10 and 1 Corinthians 14.

Let’s learn from this and ask ourselves today the following questions. How can we use the gifts God has given us (and he’s given us all gifts) to glorify him? How can we spread the Gospel as Jesus instructed us in Matthew 28:19? How can we help others know him and his saving grace on the cross wherever he has placed us whether that be in our home, neighborhood, athletic field/court, and yes, even our workplace? How can we make wherever we are a mission field for him and his glory?

 

LOVE

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude.

1 Corinthians 13

Need I say more?  LOVE.  Can you hear the Beatles song playing in your head? “All you need is love….”.

Paul’s writing is short yet powerful, one that is hard to say more about – it truly speaks to us, needing no interpretation.  How many times have we read this verse? How many times have we heard this chapter read at weddings or preached upon in sermons.  I love the gentle reminder to be patient and kind. This is a wonderful chapter in Corinthians and just makes me smile, almost melt, reading it. There is a calmness present in the way Paul writes it, almost forcing us to sit back, relax, and enjoy the thought of love. This chapter could be viewed as a bit sappy, but it serves as a reminder to us as to what is truly important:  How love rules over all else.  Oh how we need more love in the world today, not just at weddings!

Why do you think Paul writes about love right now?   Maybe he thinks people are caught up in their spiritual gifts? Maybe even in the length of their hair? Maybe he believes people have forgotten the commandment to Love One Another as they show dissent between their beliefs? Paul is trying to bring people back to unite in the church by reminding them of the importance of love, highlighting what love is and what is isn’t. I think of the words “unity” and “harmony”

7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

What about this part of the chapter? Dig into this further and Paul presents a view that, at times, love is hard. So you are supposed to bear all things, meaning harmful words or actions from others and still show love? Yes! Endure all things. Another hard part. What about Jesus enduring death on the cross to show his love and sacrifice?  What a powerful sign of his love for us and for his father. Cancer? Endure it with a loved one and still love God when you are questioning why that person or why me? Love is present and should be a source of comfort to help us through tough moments. If you have love, you have enough to survive. Tough sometimes! I have a friend who just lost her father to cancer. So hard to see him suffer and to watch her “endure”. Yet, he was faithful through it all, continuously stating that it was up to the Lord. She showed endurance and strength, loving as much of him as she could and spending time with him as he suffered. A perfect example of love even when it was hard, and I commend her.

8 Love never ends.

My favorite part of the chapter. It truly never ends. God never loses his love for us just like a mother never loses love for her child. It never ends ; “abounding in steadfast love”. How do you feel about this three-word sentence Paul states:  “love never ends”? Does it give you hope in some of your trying days? It does me. No matter if we have a bad day, or we do something or say something that is not right, God still loves us. The hard part for me is sometimes feeling guilty. I might have a thought drift in my mind that isn’t positive, yet God still loves me. I might have a coworker who frustrates me, and yes, I’m still supposed to love that person. Hard, huh? You bet.

3 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The closing to this happy chapter says it all. We have faith in God, in eternal life and in his promises. We hope for better things in the world today and in heaven tomorrow. And we love. I say “happy chapter” because it reminds us of what is important. Loving ourselves, loving others and loving our God. If we pause long enough and ponder just how much love we have for others and they have for us, it is abounding.   Yes, it may seem sappy, but sometimes, we need that! Think about a world filled with more love. If each of us reached out one more time each day to show love to another person, I wonder what we could do together? We don’t have to wait for the next wedding to relish in this chapter. Show your love today!

Comparison and Gifts

If you’re anything like me, you sometimes struggle with comparing your own unique, God-ordained spiritual gifts to those of other people in your life. It can be so easy to watch other Christians as they use their spiritual gifts and wonder if, just maybe, those individuals are more impactful or blessed than we are.

I often struggle with this myself. As someone who is often too attentive to what others around me are doing and thinking, I find that I’m very quick to notice when someone is better at something than I am. I might watch as someone responds to a situation with much more grace than I think I could have, I might notice how someone decided to serve without being prompted when I would never have thought to do so, or I might watch someone be praised for their more public spiritual gift and become envious. Clearly, I have issues and you all now know just how much I need Jesus. 🙂 But, what I think the enemy is always trying to distract us from is the fact that we each have our own unique giftings, and while we can absolutely always grow and develop in other areas, we each do have certain areas in which we were created to shine.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 with me…

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

While there are many different ways we are gifted as followers of Jesus, 1 Corinthians 12 reminds us that we share the very same God, and thus, our spiritual gifts should draw us closer together instead of causing division among the body of Christ. Going back to the personal examples I shared regarding the ways I struggle with comparing my specific spiritual gifts to others’ spiritual gifts, I have begun to try to handle those exact situations differently.

For example, instead of beating myself up because I know I might not have responded to a situation with as much grace as my friend, I have learned that I can instead pray for an abundance of grace to be given to me in that moment. If I don’t have any grace with myself first, I won’t have any leftover to give to others around me, and I want to be known as a woman of grace.

Instead of feeling frustrated that I never thought to serve those around me in the tangible ways in which my friend instinctually did, I have learned that I can instead use that as a reminder the next time I see a need that is unmet. Since this happened in my own life and I was inspired by the example of a dear friend who has the heart of a complete servant, I have become more servant-hearted and noticed unmet needs. I can choose to surround myself with friends and other believers who provide an amazing example and sharpen me as a Christ follower… undoubtedly, the impact this choice has on my life and on others’ lives is huge.

Lastly, instead of becoming envious because my friend’s spiritual gift is more public than my behind the scenes spiritual gift, I have learned that I can instead choose to praise God for the way He is using that person. I’ve even found that if I build that friend up, perhaps by verbally encouraging them that their spiritual gift is impacting those around them, my envy quickly subsides… because it is not about me anymore- it’s about the kingdom of God being moved forward. The enemy wants to twist and contort our spiritual gifts and use them for evil, but I hope today’s text reminds each of us that we need to be on guard against this.

Friend, you were created beautifully, intricately and purposefully. Be encouraged today to continually be discovering the unique ways God gifted you and growing into that. I’ll end with one of my all time favorite verses on this very topic, Galatians 6:5, which in The Message version says:

4-5 Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

Hats, Hair and Meals?

Today’s reading is 1 Cor 11

At first glance our chapter today seems to be dealing with some rather strange topics. Does God really care if I cover my head, wear my hair long or short, or have a meal with friends? If we read this chapter literally and don’t look a bit deeper into it’s meaning and purpose, we might walk away thinking we need to make some changes in our appearance. I’m pretty sure that God is way more interested in my heart and my motives than how I wear my hair. So what is the point? What is God getting at in this passage?

In the first 16 verses of this chapter, Paul is using some pretty persuasive writing to the Corinthians to help them understand what was expected of them during worship. Looking at vs 16, it is pretty clear that Paul is dealing with an issue that is a cultural custom in this passage. It seems that the Corinthian women were in the process of working out their freedom in Christ and ended up making some choices that missed the mark of God’s intentions. The cultural custom around head coverings and hair length were in place to help everyone remember that God was the Head of the church and that men were heads of the family unit. When the Corinthian women threw off their head coverings, they were going beyond their freedom in Christ. In essence they were saying by this action that there is no authority, which is a self-serving attitude. Because the Corinthians were pursuing self-interests, they were unwilling to subordinate themselves to the needs of others, and worse, they were placing themselves above God. Now we are getting into some territory that speaks to me and continues to be prevalent in our culture today. This principle behind the head covering issue is something that all people throughout time have struggled with and faced no matter what the cultural norm has looked like.

So the last 17 verses of this passage deal with the Lord’s Supper. It seems that back during early church time, the Lord’s Supper was an actual meal. When the people gathered to worship, part of that worship time was sharing a meal together. It looks like this was getting twisted enough in the Corinthian church that it was actually producing the exact opposite results than it was intended to produce. It appears that just as we sometimes struggle today, the Corinthians were separating by friend groups, forming cliques and eating fancy meals together with their friends, while other people were hurt because they were left out, maybe because they couldn’t afford such an elaborate version of the meal. The Lord’s Supper represents the most selfless and giving act ever known. The Corinthians were, and we are called to partake in this meal to remember the selfless gift of Christ taking our place, paying the price for our sin. Instead of a unifying remembrance of a selfless act, they turned it into a selfish time of fun with friends to the exclusion of others. They were actually doing more harm than good.

As I read this passage and think on the ways that these Christians got off track, I sometimes wish that I had Paul as a personal friend and that he would send me letters pointing out the places I have twisted God’s truth, and missed the mark trying to live by God’s principles. I tell myself that it would be so much easier to know where I am messing up if I got direct instructions in a letter like so many of the people in the new testament did. (The truth is that I would probably melt into a puddle of shame if that actually happened!) The good news is that we have a loving God who knows our hearts and minds. He knows us perfectly and knows how we learn best and at what pace we are able to make changes. He has also gifted us the Holy Spirit who is willing to point out our messes if we are brave enough to ask for help. Let’s choose today to take the time to ask God to show us where we are missing the mark. Let’s ask Him to show us the places in our lives where we are putting ourselves and our desires ahead of others needs, or worse Him.