Are we commending
ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so
you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than
having a sincere heart.
(II Corinthians 5:12
NLT)
Are we giving people the right reason
to be proud of us? The Apostle Paul in
this portion of Scripture was answering those who were bragging about external
appearances rather than a changed heart.
The Bible speaks about the fruits of
the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit.
Gifts are bestowed but fruits are grown. The fruits of the Spirit such
as love, joy and peace are often cultivated in the soil of trials and
tribulations. The gifts of God can come
quickly but the fruits of His Spirits are developed over time. A weightlifter friend of mine used to say,
“short term pain leads to long term gain.”
The Corinthians that Paul confronted were guilty of dwelling on the
spectacular aspects of ministry and missing the godly character traits
exhibited by Paul and his followers. The
things that we Christians sometimes prize are nothing more than wood, hay and
stubble that are easily consumed when the fiery trial appears.
Remember what Jesus said, But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey
you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven (Luke 10:20 NLT).
We should be excited that we are a child of the King and being conformed to His
image. Our bragging rights are not about what we can do for Christ, but who we
are in Christ.
Ken
Barnes, the author of “The
Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places” YWAM Publishing
Email:
kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/
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