Apart from such external things, there is the daily
pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak
without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? If
I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.
Insights: This week we have observed how Paul sacrificially
lived. He did not care about his own
reputation. He invested years to grow in
his educational pursuits. He resigned
from a cushy job. He gave up his freedom
and literally was imprisoned. He was
literally tortured for his faith and he endured major discomforts for the
gospel. Verse twenty-eight today reveals
one more area in which Paul sacrificed and that was in his emotional
well-being. Day and night he was consumed
with the spiritual growth and vitality of all the churches he had planted
throughout his many missionary journeys.
Beloved we ought to have that kind of burden for the spiritual
well-being of those around us. We ought
to be asking them what the Lord has been showing them in their quiet times and
rejoicing with them in their pilgrimage with Jesus. There is one word that describes all of these
sacrifices Paul willing gave. That word
is PASSION! Paul had such a passionate
love relationship with Jesus that every sacrifice he made was really a gift of
love back to his Lord and Savior. It was
not a heavy burden for him, but rather a joyful grace that he would have chosen
every time he had the opportunity to point people to Jesus. People are passionate, but our passions are
not always geared toward Jesus. In fact,
I dare say, most of those attending local churches in America are not
passionate about Jesus. Let me give you
a modern day example of passion. Today
starts the summer Olympics. These
athletes are very passionate about their pursuit of the gold medal. They sacrifice food, relationships, time and
so many other things for a moment of earthly glory. Their example to sports and Paul’s example to
Jesus makes me wonder about my life. Is
there any area in which I am sacrificing for Jesus and showing my passion for
Him? Beloved, our lives ought to be a
single candle burning at both ends for the glory and proclamation of Jesus. –
SIDE NOTE – Happy Birthday Kristy Tharp!
Questions:
- Have you ever been so burdened for the lost and the
spiritual health of another that it affected your emotional well-being?
- Are you living life with this kind of passion we have
been writing about this entire week?
Prayer: Lord, I want my
life to be an example of radical devotion to You. I want to go to bed thinking about You and I
want to rise thinking about You. I want
to live my entire day centered in Your will and the proclamation of the
gospel. Lord, do a transforming work in
my life and grant this request. Amen.
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