I have a hard time separating
a person from their actions, consequently when someone has treated me poorly I keep
them at arm’s length. When it’s a casual acquaintance I simply avoid them,
however if it is a friend or a family member my distance-keeping takes on the
form of withholding affection for a time. It gave me pause when I read that Paul
didn’t tolerate such behavior from the Corinthians, but rather called them out.
“We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to
you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you
are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak
as to my children—open wide your hearts also” (2 Cor 6:11-13 NIV).
1 comment:
Gail;
-----This is one thing I like to think about Paul’s term: the mind of Christ (I Cor 2:16.) In Philippians Paul tells us to be of the same mind as one another. He fleshes out the “similarities in us” for making the sameness of this mind as love, accord, the humility of placing others first, and considering others interests with our own, like maybe as our own. He says this is our mind in Christ, whom he identifies as having emptied Himself of God’s form to become a servant in the form of a man, humbling Himself to obedience all the way into a torturous death, implying that His attitude towards God and others is part of the “sameness” of that one mind we must have together. Paul makes this the reason for our working out our own salvation in fearful-like seriousness. It seems he is saying, “Just do it. Whatever way you can the best, just do it, because in our use of that kind of mind God’s will and good pleasures are worked.” Paul would not be Paul if there were not always a “moreover”. Doing all things without grumbling and criticizing stands that mind upright amidst a crooked and perverse generation to shine like light.
-----In other words, as crushed servants, when serving crushes, be crushed with joy, for being crushed while doing right makes purposeful light. This is what we are ultimately to become in our temporal life: beacons of God’s light -abused servants, which Christ was also. And I like to think of this whole concept as the mind of Christ.
-----“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.” (Col 3:12-15)
-----Of course, minds are not born, they are developed. The big thanks is God's forebearance towards us while we develop this mind.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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