When he was little, one of our boys used to always get our attention by saying, “I have two questions!” Then he would go on to make two statements. Paul’s life and ministry made two statements.
First of all, he wanted to exalt Christ rather than himself. That is why he could write “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Cor. 12:9). He wanted Christ’s power to be the unmistakable difference about his life and ministry. That difference was most obvious in “weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties” (verse 10). As long as Jesus’ power was manifested, Paul was content in ministry. This is a good reminder that “success” is not determined by how easy or well things are going but by the presence of the power of Jesus.
Secondly, Paul labored to connect people to Christ and see them mature in him. Paul writes “everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening” (2 Cor. 12:19). Paul shared the gospel of Christ, and then he worked tirelessly to “present everyone perfect in Christ” (Colossians 1:28). Forgiveness in Christ is instantaneous; maturity in Christ, on the other hand, is a long, messy process. We are called to more than altar calls; we are called to slogging through sanctification with people, which boils down to hard-fought battles against the enemy of our souls.
Of course, these two statements mesh together nicely. Christ is exalted as people find their life in Him.
The fruit of this kind of labor lasts to eternal life and is therefore worth every ounce of effort. No regrets here.
Let’s do it!
Kip
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