Feb. 24, 2004

[Kidan]

Quote[/b] ]I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls . . .
—2 Corinthians 12:15

Quote[/b] ]Once "the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit," we deliberately begin to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ’s interests and purposes in others’ lives ( Romans 5:5 ). And Jesus has an interest in every individual person. We have no right in Christian service to be guided by our own interests and desires. In fact, this is one of the greatest tests of our relationship with Jesus Christ. The delight of sacrifice is that I lay down my life for my Friend, Jesus (see John 15:13 ). I don’t throw my life away, but I willingly and deliberately lay it down for Him and His interests in other people. And I do this for no cause or purpose of my own. Paul spent his life for only one purpose—that he might win people to Jesus Christ. Paul always attracted people to his Lord, but never to himself. He said, "I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" ( 1 Corinthians 9:22 ).

When someone thinks that to develop a holy life he must always be alone with God, he is no longer of any use to others. This is like putting himself on a pedestal and isolating himself from the rest of society. Paul was a holy person, but wherever he went Jesus Christ was always allowed to help Himself to his life. Many of us are interested only in our own goals, and Jesus cannot help Himself to our lives. But if we are totally surrendered to Him, we have no goals of our own to serve. Paul said that he knew how to be a "doormat" without resenting it, because the motivation of his life was devotion to Jesus. We tend to be devoted, not to Jesus Christ, but to the things which allow us more spiritual freedom than total surrender to Him would allow. Freedom was not Paul’s motive at all. In fact, he stated, "I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren . . ." ( Romans 9:3 ). Had Paul lost his ability to reason? Not at all! For someone who is in love, this is not an overstatement. And Paul was in love with Jesus Christ.

 

[Kidan]

Full Verse:

Quote[/b] ]I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?

--2 Cor. 12:15

This concept is alien to us in today's society. With all the psycho babble of self-love. Sel-esteem. and other such concepts, the thought of utterly, giving of yourself. Of treating yourself as a 'doormat' so that you can better serve others. It's mind-boggling. It goes against the grain of our soceity (I'm writing from an American viewpoint) in every stance.

We're trained from being a young child that we should do nothing that could hurt another's self-esteem. My wife has a degree in elementry education, and a good portion of her courses were on how to not hurt children's self-esteem. In playgrounds today, there's a new game. It's a pole, with 4 hoops on it. 4 ppl play on it, each gets a ball, and they throw it in. This is a GAME! Rather than teaching these children things they need, they're catering to what is refered to as a 'child's fragile self-esteem'

The point is, we're taught young to look out for ourselves, to care about our selves the most. That it's ok to do things because they make us feel good.

While as Christians we should strive to seek God's will for our lives, relying on Him for all things. To care about others more than ourselves. And to always do right, even though it may not 'feel good.'

Paul wrote 'I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. ' He's saying that he will glady use all that he is, do everything in his power, to help the Corinthians. And he does this WILLINGLY! Why? Because Christ did it for him first.

Christ did God's will. Christ cared for others more than Himself. Christ did always did right.

This is our example and our goal. Today let's worry a little less about our self-esteem, and focus on God's esteem of us.