Word of Encouragement (4/19/2021)

Pastor James
April 19, 2021

We are continuing our reflection on Paul’s prayer in 1 Cor. 1:4-8:

“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:4-8).

We observed how this prayer is not a petition but a thanksgiving. And this thanksgiving was for the Corinthians, who were far from being perfect. What was it about the Corinthians that Paul gave thanks? For the abundance of spiritual gifts they had received—“...in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift...” (v. 7).

I hope you find this thanksgiving remarkable because one of the hardest things to do is to rejoice with those who rejoice. Weeping with those who weep is much easier in comparison. You know why this is so. Sympathizing with those who are less fortunate than we are is almost as natural as water flowing downward. But to be happy for the success of someone, who is having one success after another while you are going through a tough time, is, for most of us, as unnatural as water flowing upward. How many of us can say that our hearts feel no tinge of jealousy when we rejoice with those who rejoice—unless “those” happen to be our spouse or children?

That Paul was able to give thanks for the abundance of the Corinthians’ spiritual gifts shows what kind of relationship Paul had with them. He viewed them as his spiritual children, which they were: it was through Paul’s ministry that they came to hear and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 18:1ff). Just like a parent, who delights in discovering the talent of his child and wants to do everything to help him cultivate it, Paul delighted in the generous bestowal of spiritual gifts the Corinthians received from the Lord.

But this attitude of comradery Paul displayed was not limited to “his” people, who came to faith through his ministry. He displayed the same spirit to other churches, which were planted by other Apostles and missionaries. He didn’t show any jealousy toward other Apostles and Christian leaders; he appreciated their work as his co-laborers for God’s kingdom, fellow servants of Christ: “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Cor. 3:5-7). He understood that Christians are all baptized into the body of Christ as its members (1 Cor. 12:13) and are given different gifts and roles (1 Cor. 12:4) for the common good (1 Cor. 12:7), for the building up of the body of Christ. So then, instead of being jealous of others’ gifts and talents, we should celebrate their gifts and be grateful to God for one another. For God has gifted each of us to help and be a blessing to one another.

When was the last time you thanked God for your fellow Christians, your fellow members? When was the last time you praised God for their giftedness and abilities? Why don’t you take some time to do so right now?