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Go ahead and look first at 1 Corinthians 1 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

Key Verse(s): 1 Corinthians 1:4

I can never stop thanking God for all the generous gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.

Title: Being Thankful When It’s Not Easy

Observation: Paul is setting out to write a lengthy letter to the church at Corinth, a church that has failed to live up to the expectations he had for them. It would be easy to come out blisteringly angry at them, starting from the beginning to get to the “heart” of the problem right away.

Instead Paul speaks from the heart and has heard the heart of Jesus. He is able to rejoice that they have found faith in Jesus Christ, that they have been gifted and blessed by Him. They are a new creation, if imperfect, in Christ. Paul does not miss the forest of grace because of a few dead trees of sin and arrogance.

Too often we condemn the world, we criticize other people, we say things like, “this really must make Jesus sad/mad”. We can work up our own anger (often very selfish anger) until we want to use Jesus to say that He hates the world. That’s exactly the opposite of Scripture, “For God so loved the world...” We want to put in Jesus mouth, using the Law, judgment and condemnation. We do not have the right. I do not have the right.

Application: Too often I want to “fix people” and not see the goodness that Jesus has put in them, see their experience of grace that God has given them. Particularly when they disagree with me. I get thrown into a tailspin of self-doubt and anger at people when they criticize or attack me, instead of, like Paul, loving them and looking for the evidence of the God’s grace in their lives. I need to see the good work that God is doing in everyone, and particularly those who I am struggling with.

Prayer: Lord God forgive me. Today I asked for patience from you, and then took control back and allowed myself anger and self-doubt. Help me to rest in you, to trust in you, to have my identity so firmly rooted in you that when others disagree with them I don’t resort to fight-or-flight mentality, but languishing in your love and steeled with your vision, I see people through Your eyes. Thank you God for having such mercy with me. You alone are worthy of praise.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

# posted by Matt Real @ 9:41 PM