Saturday, March 21, 2015
Today’s Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:14-21
“For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power. What would you prefer? Am I to come to you with a stick, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?” (1 Cor. 4:20-21)
“Religion requires perfection, but the kingdom values excellence. If we strive for perfection and don’t allow ourselves room to be wrong, we will never grow. Perfection is an unattainable destination, but excellence is an exciting journey. It’s a journey in which we allow the Holy Spirit to teach, guide, and mentor us. If you strive to never make a mistake, you will make the biggest one by never stepping out in faith.” ― Bob Hazlett, The Roar: God's Sound In A Raging World
Paul is speaking to the Corinthians as a father. He appears to speak with a degree of severity, but his main motive is to bring them back to the right path, as a father speaking to a foolish son who has gone astray. Paul wants to admonish his beloved children not to make them ashamed and guilty. He does not wish to humiliate them, only see that they are properly instructed in Christian principles. They are a young congregation and they have learned from Paul, while Paul was with them and like all of us we often forget our early lessons.
As I was growing up, I had many people in the church, school, college and seminary who gave me guidance, counsel and served as mentors. I did not always appreciate their feedback about my progress, but over time I came to realize they were correct and their remarks were loving expressions toward me. I came to realize, if they did not love and care for me they would have never bothered to take the time to correct me. I have noticed over the past 30 years ago or so, many are offended when others attempt to provide guidance and discipline to correct improper behaviors. There is a tendency to want to blame the person who gives the guidance as the source of the problem.
I recently read an article about how involvement and regular attendance at church worship and events can help us in many ways, not just spiritual. This did not come as a surprise to me, I knew from experience this was true. Now, some research had been conducted to confirm it. Our involvement in a faith community provides us regardless of age, loving mentors, guides, and counselors. People who care for us, motivate us, and support us in the difficult and often painful moments of our lives. When we go astray they guide us back, when we do things which may harm us they show us the way to health and wholeness and when we don’t know the way ahead they help us sort out the choices before us.
Involvement in a faith community, points us toward traveling the road leading to the kingdom of God. Within the life of the church many have been able to achieve educations, they never thought possible; careers which they thought were beyond their reach; and helped care for their families in ways thought beyond our grasp. When a faith community leads us to the kingdom of God, it frequently leads us in making life enhancing decisions and choices about our physical, mental, emotional, relational, and economic stability as well as our life as spiritual beings within God’s creation.
Paul discovered that these Corinthians could talk a good story; but it is not their elaborate words that mattered; it was their deeds. Jesus never said “By your words they will know you are my disciples.” He said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35) and “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” (John 15:8) As Paul states in v. 20, “for the kingdom of God does not exist in talking but in powerful action.”
In the end, Paul demands whether he needs to come to the Corinthians to discipline with harsh actions or to come to them as one who loves. Paul’s love for the Corinthians was not a sentimental love; it was a love which knew that sometimes discipline was necessary and he was prepared to exercise it.
Studies show that the average person can name between five and eight people who've significantly shaped their lives. People who came into their lives at different times and made important contributions. These people helped to bring us closer to the kingdom of God.
Mentoring may seem like a one-on-one relationship on the surface, but it's actually part of a web of loving and caring mentoring connections, with disciples of the kingdom having several mentors throughout their lives and also becoming mentors to others. “For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power. What would you prefer? Am I to come to you with a stick, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?” (1 Cor. 4:20-21)
Today’s Lectionary Readings
Morning: Psalms 43; 149
Evening: Psalms 31; 143
Jeremiah 23:9–15
Romans 9:1–18
John 6:60–71
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