The Nerve
Text: 1 Corinthians 14:36-15:2
Theme: Paul had no issue bouncing from harsh correction to kind compliments.
Key verses: “Or do you think God’s word originated with you Corinthians? Are you the only ones to whom it was given?” (14:36). “But if you do not recognize this, you yourself will not be recognized. So, my dear brothers and sisters…” (14:38-39). “Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it…unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place” (15:1-2).
What I believe God said to me: Dwayne, learn from Paul on how to communicate with and teach the people you love and want to help. Paul called these Corinthians his “brothers.” These were people he loved dearly. He planted a church in Corinth. He lived among them for a year and a half. He did life with them. He knew many of them personally. He also wrote a series of letters to help them overcome disunity, immorality, and false teaching. Why does this matter in the context of this devotional lesson? I want you to see how seamlessly Paul flowed from complimenting and encouraging to correcting and admonishing. Paul didn’t see those things as two separate conversations. His words weren’t positive sometimes and negative other times. He wasn’t in two different moods as he wrote this letter, and he wasn’t playing “good cop, bad cop” with these Corinthian church leaders. It was Paul’s nature and intention to instruct people, to genuinely help them grow and improve in their walk with me and their understanding of my ways. Paul wasn’t interested in being their pal. He wasn’t trying to get them to like him. If so, he wouldn’t have said some of the things he did, for fear of hurting their feelings or turning them off to him. As you mentor and make disciples, you must die to yourself and your desire to be accepted and popular. You struggle with this. There have been times when you needed to come down hard on those you lead. But instead, in those vital moments, you laughed with them and passed off their shortcomings as no big deal. Yet, it was a big deal. People should not be allowed to continue in their nonconstructive ways. They shouldn’t settle for mediocrity in their work and ministry–and you shouldn’t let them. It is your responsibility as a leader and mentor to help them see their ways and change. This is a weakness in your leadership, and if you’re not careful, it could hold your ministry back from being the effective for my glory. (Yes, the adverse effects can go all the way to the top, to the level of worshiping and honoring me.) This is far more than just a misuse of judgment or communication on your part. When allowed to continue, poor behavior can derail or delay an organization’s mission. You must grow and overcome in the area of needed confrontation. It’s important to take note that Paul called them “Dear brothers” both before he corrected them and also after he corrected them. They were always and still dearly loved by him. True correction must be done out of sincere care for those you are correcting. It’s true that love covers a multitude of sins. However, sometimes love should also expose some sins. That’s a tough kind of love. That’s my kind of love.
What I said to God: Father, thank You for meeting with me today. I was just thinking of how fortunate we are to live in an age when Your Word is readily available to us in so many mediums. There was a time when only those who read Latin and held priestly offices had access to the Bible. Yet, here I sit, surrounded by Bibles on my iPad, my laptop, and on my bookshelves. I’m also honored that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords would take time for me. Who am I that the Lord of all the earth would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt? Please help me learn and learn deeply from Paul’s example. Thank You for bringing this to my attention today. Help me press through to boldly confront when it’s needed and to always love those I lead, regardless of their shortcomings and mistakes. Help me deal with others as You have always dealt with me–redemptively.