My love to all of you in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 16:24).

As my grandma would have said, this has been a tough row to hoe. Paul has spent many pages counseling, correcting, and rebuking his friends from Corinth. I would imagine it was pretty exhausting.

But 

Paul loved them. No matter the stress they caused him, Paul loved the church at Corinth. He didn’t chastise because he was on a power trip, nor because he was fed up with them. Frankly, if he had wanted to, he could have just cut them loose to fend for themselves.

Except he couldn’t,

because they were his.

Paul reflects the love of the Father in this letter. He teaches, he corrects, he rebukes, because of his love. In the same way, our Father is not willing to let us continue in sin simply to keep us happy. 

Happiness is not his goal–holiness is.

Happy Monday, Beloved