By My Word

DEVOTION

2 CORINTHIANS

BY MY WORD

2 Cor 1:15-17

15 Because I was confident of this, I planned to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. 16 I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. 17 When I planned this, did I do it lightly? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say, "Yes, yes" and "No, no"?

NIV

More of what seems a personal note or dialog about Paul’s plans to visit these Corinthians a second time. But within this statement, stands a truth about the human condition that we might benefit from. When we make plans we need to weight our plans carefully and with much thought so as not to change them if something better comes alone that would seem to suit our fancy much better. All too often people change they plans based on having the opportunity to engage in something better than the original plans would have afford. Perhaps this is what Paul was being accused of and he wanted to make sure they understand that he is not like other people. When he says he planned to visit them, he make those plans with great consideration of the cost and he was not going to forego those plans because of some personal comfort. Could we say the same thing about how we plan our visits, or times of getting together with friends? Does something always come up that we would rather do so we cancel our engagement? Maybe something comes up that we feel really deserves our attention so we cancel our first plans. Maybe something comes up that is really important. Maybe something comes up that gives us the opportunity to serve or be of a help to someone so we cancel. Maybe something comes up that simply means we have an excuse to cancel. It would appear when we make plans we should make sure those plans are actually what we want to do, then if so, make them and then stick to our plans. Make our yes, yes and our no, no. If we say we are going to do something, then do it. If we say we can’t do that, then don’t do it. But whatever we say we need to follow through. Sure there might be actually emergency times when we have to cancel, like if we are having a heart attack, or perhaps a family member has been injured or taken seriously ill very suddenly and we must rush to the bedside. But the point we might take away here is that we need to stand by our word.