"For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. But I make known to you, brethren that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ."
giving or guarding
The gospel that Paul was preaching was not a body of
traditions handed down to him as were Jewish practices, (though he did receive
these), nor was it a series taught by rote and repetition as were the
foundations of Greek and Roman philosophy, (which he also had). Paul came to truly understand the historical
facts of Jesus through a revelation experience with Jesus, and that revelation
turned out to have enormous implications for the life of Paul—and he wanted to
give it to others.
The revelation of Jesus sets in motion a new worldview. For in our religious traditions we are
often, (if not usually), trying to please people, and in our teaching we are
often, (if not usually), trying to persuade people. God’s love for us and others, as seen in
Jesus, turns the world’s values upside down:
no longer is wealth for accumulating—it is for giving away; no longer is
power for controlling—it is for serving;
no longer is prestige or popularity for exalting “self”—it is for
opportunity to share the gospel, traditions are no longer about keeping others
happy—they are for reminding our hearts of great truths, and teaching is no
longer for the purpose of ‘being right’—it is to better display the Righteous
One. This is not the way society leads
us, but it is the way of God. These are
the ways of a God who pours out His great riches upon spiritually poor
humanity, who dispenses power to the weak to inherit the kingdom of God, and
who gives the outcast a place of love and belonging.
When our aim is to please people and to be “something” in
the world, we generally aim to accumulate money, goods,
compliments, friends, authority, esteem, knowledge, notoriety, followers and
friends for ourselves. These things become
our reasons for living. When our aim is
to know God, we must dive into His truth, His gift of salvation and
forgiveness. This empowers us to live by
His Spirit in our world. He will give us eyes to see where and how we can give our resources, our time, and our
energy, for His glory.
In your own life, are you more focused on accumulating something
for yourself, or on listening to God? Are you more focused on guarding something for
yourself and impressing others, or giving back to God from the riches He gives
you? Are you seeking approval of people
or God’s approval in these areas?
I
focus more on The
approval I crave is from
Free time Giving or Guarding God or
other people
Money Giving or
Guarding God or
other people
Knowledge Giving or Guarding God or
other people
Friendships Giving or Guarding God or
other people
Opportunities Giving or Guarding God or
other people
Read and Pray: I Tim. 6:18-19, Heb. 13:15-16, 2
Cor. 2:16-18
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