A Life Worthy

Do not deceive yourselves.  (1 Corinthians 3:18).

But we’re so good at that!

We do it all the time.

Well, at least I do.

Sometimes I think I’m strong when God knows I’m not.

Sometimes I think I’m brave when God knows I’m not.

Sometimes I think I’m smart when God knows I’m not.

Sometimes I think I’m wise when God knows I’m not.

Sometimes I think I’m Godly when God knows I’m not.

Of course, it works the other way, too.

Sometimes I think I’m weak when God knows I’m not.

Sometimes I think I’m cowardly when God knows I’m not.

Sometimes I think I’m stupid when God knows I’m not.

Sometimes I think I’m foolish when God knows I’m not.

Sometimes I think I’m lost when God knows I’m not.

Sometimes I think I’m worthless when God knows I’m not.

Either way you slice it, whether I’m high on myself or down on myself,

I’m deceiving myself

because I’m focused on…

you guessed it.

Myself

Beloved, when will I ever remember that I will never see Truth in the mirror over the bathroom sink?  I will only see it in the mirror of His word,

His heart,

His love.

Someday, Beloved.

Some glorious day.

Happy Friday.  

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)

We are God’s temple.

We, plural, collectively, as in The Church.  A little later in this letter, Paul is going to speak of the individual as the temple of the Holy Spirit, but right now he is talking about the body of believers.

So let’s ponder that for a moment.

The God of the Universe chose to place his Spirit into weak, silly, divided, bickering us.  Me with my bad eyes, creaking joints, and disloyal follicles.

You with your…

You.

Together, we reflect God’s glory.

Together, we are his hands and feet to accomplish his work.

Together, we are his ambassadors to a world that does not, cannot understand his love.

Together

Keep that in mind as you walk through your day, as you deal with people who claim Christ but who are selfish, weak, shallow…

people like me.

We’re in this together.

We’re in Him together.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light.  It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work (1 Corinthians 3:13).

Fire

Paul is not talking about a peaceful campfire here, nor a cheerful blaze in the hearth,  nor a festive bonfire complete with bad singing, roasted weenies, and s’mores.

He’s talking about the all-consuming flame that sweeps through your life and utterly destroys all that is not worthy.  

You may have experienced this fire in the past.  If not, you will.

Yeah, it’s a metaphor, Beloved.

A scary one

Happy Monday.

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it.  But each one should be careful how he builds.  For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10-11).

I have built exactly one building in my lifetime.

It was a shed.  

Maybe 75 square feet.

I had lots of help.

So, as a construction expert, I can say with perfect confidence that the foundation is a crucial aspect to the project.  It provides the stability needed to keep the entire building intact.  In fact, the structural integrity of the entire building is dependent upon a firm foundation.

If you want a solid shed, you build on a concrete slab.

If you want a solid life…

Well, you know.

What Paul said.

Happy Thursday, Beloved. 

What, after all, is Apollos?  And what is Paul?  Only servants, through whom you came to believe–as the Lord assigned each to his task.  I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow.  The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor  (1 Corinthians 3:5-8).

When Paul says he’s nothing, what does that make me?

Ya, you betcha.

Here’s a thing: I know that Paul is reminding the folks in Corinth not to focus on a man, but to focus on God.  We’ve seen him do this before, and it’s an important message.  

But there’s more here.  

Paul is also telling us that we are not responsible for the results of our work.  You may plant or water or whatever, but you can’t make it grow.

Because you’re not supposed to.

It’s not your gig.

It’s his.

Frankly, when you worry and stress and obsess and try to control every outcome, you are playing God…and I love you, but you know you’re not very good at that.

Are you?

Beloved, do the job God has placed before you, and do it to the best of your ability.

Then rest.

It’s OK.

I don’t know about you, but I find that freeing. 

So be free, Beloved.

Happy Tuesday