I Corinthians 9:19-27
I truly don’t have much to say today. I’m not much of an athlete these days (really, never was at any high level!) so I can’t relate to winning a race. I certainly do not discipline my body. About the only way that I can connect with today’s last paragraph is that the things that I do, I try to do well. And to use Debbie’s word from yesterday, I try to be responsible in whatever I am doing. More’s the truth that I don’t like to be guilty of not being responsible where someone is expecting something of me!! ?!
But beyond that, I could synthesize today’s first paragraph in one sentence: Meet everyone where they are. And if you want to be a “walk the walk, talk the talk” missionary, you need to let them do most of the talking to find out where they are, especially what questions they have or what barriers they offer. With your efforts and the Holy Spirit’s continuing activity, your words will never go unheeded!
Slava Bohu!
I am not an athlete either, Fred, and I don’t think of winning by beating others. Not my favorite analogy. My Bible notes said that in v. 27, Paul doesn’t want to be considered “unfit”. This isn’t about his salvation but about losing his privilege to tell others of Christ. I haven’t thought of sharing the gospel as a privilege!
Also, the principles for ministry in v 22-23: find common ground, avoid a know-it-all attitude, make others feel accepted, and look for opportunities to share. One of the terms used at the New Wineskins Conference was “cultural humility”. How much better it would be if we experience other cultures (including low-income, poverty, ethnic, racial, geographical, etc.) with humility rather than a better-than-thou attitude. We can only boast in Christ, but that is open to all!