August 14
1 Corinthians 9:1-18
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9 that he has certain rights as a minister of the gospel of Christ. This chapter may not initially seem like it has a whole lot of application to your life, but it ultimately provides us with a critical application. Paul said that he had a right to make a living off his ministry. He quoted Deuteronomy, he pointed out other apostles, and used other jobs as an illustration to make his point. Yet Paul made the radical claim that though he had the right to essentially get a paycheck from the church, he was not going to claim it. He was willing to give up his right in order to make the gospel known. Paul's highest priority was to communicate Christ, and since he thought the most effective way to do this was to give up his rights and his freedoms, then he was willing to do so. His own comfort was secondary to his calling as a minister of the gospel. He was willing to sacrifice and surrender everything to make Christ known.
The question is, do we have this same mindset? Are we willing to surrender our rights, comfort, and ease in order to reveal Jesus? Paul’s discussion about the pay of an apostle suddenly connects to our lives. We should be willing to give up anything in order to proclaim Jesus. So, let us consider whether we are elevating ourselves or God in the way we live, and let us always put the spotlight on our great and loving God.
Father God, help me to surrender everything to follow you. Help me to put you first in my life. Amen.
What would it look like for you to sacrifice more to make Christ known to a greater degree?
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9 that he has certain rights as a minister of the gospel of Christ. This chapter may not initially seem like it has a whole lot of application to your life, but it ultimately provides us with a critical application. Paul said that he had a right to make a living off his ministry. He quoted Deuteronomy, he pointed out other apostles, and used other jobs as an illustration to make his point. Yet Paul made the radical claim that though he had the right to essentially get a paycheck from the church, he was not going to claim it. He was willing to give up his right in order to make the gospel known. Paul's highest priority was to communicate Christ, and since he thought the most effective way to do this was to give up his rights and his freedoms, then he was willing to do so. His own comfort was secondary to his calling as a minister of the gospel. He was willing to sacrifice and surrender everything to make Christ known.
The question is, do we have this same mindset? Are we willing to surrender our rights, comfort, and ease in order to reveal Jesus? Paul’s discussion about the pay of an apostle suddenly connects to our lives. We should be willing to give up anything in order to proclaim Jesus. So, let us consider whether we are elevating ourselves or God in the way we live, and let us always put the spotlight on our great and loving God.
Father God, help me to surrender everything to follow you. Help me to put you first in my life. Amen.
What would it look like for you to sacrifice more to make Christ known to a greater degree?
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