Presence among Men is Flexible

Photo by sabreguy29

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:13

For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.

Insights: In today’s verse we discover a third truth about our ministry to people.  This truth is we need to be flexible in the hands of the Lord God.  Notice with me in the verse Paul states if he is beside himself, then it is for God.  In other words, this is like king David’s comment to his wife when he said, “I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes (2 Sa 6:22).”  In essence David and Paul are telling us there are times we worship and express our faith as if the Lord God is an audience of one.  He is always our focus, but there are times He would have us to let go of our inhibitions and surrender ourselves totally to Him with a reckless abandon.  When we live with this unhindered devotion many people will say we are out of our minds or as Paul wrote, “beside ourselves.”  People are not always receptive to religious zeal, but there are times in which God calls us to this kind of vulnerability with Him.  Paul went on to write in today’s verse, “if we are of sound mind, it is for you.”  Now this thought is when we are more reserved and logical in our approach to faith.  We are more diplomatic in our conversations and we use more intellectual and logical means of persuasion rather than emotional and spiritual.  When we portray Christ in this manner we are doing so for the purpose of winning lost people to Jesus and that is why Paul says, “it is for you.”  Beloved, the key, whether we are beside ourselves or of sound mind, is to be centered on the Lord Jesus.  Let Him be the One guiding you to actions of exuberance or reservation.  Realize the goal is to bring the Lord glory by our actions of obedience.

Questions:

 1. Are you flexible in your approach to ministering to other people?

 2. What techniques or styles have you used to share Jesus with others?

Prayer: Father, help me to be flexible in Your hands.  Let me display my faith as You would have me in various situations and conversations.  I want to be pliable in Your hands.  Amen.

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