Building Words

DEVOTION

2 CORINTHIANS

BUILDING WORDS

2 Cor 10:7-11

7 You are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he. 8 For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it. 9 I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. 10 For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing." 11 Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.

NIV

It would appear we are in the middle of another discussion by Paul defending his position in Christ. But this truth about building others up instead of pulling them down has a great of merit which is worth our examination. It is so easy to have a spirit of criticism. It is way too easy to accuse others of wrong doing, at least in our eyes, whether they actually did anything really wrong or not. If they offend us in any way, we tear them down, not build them up. Even as Paul wrote to the Corinthians about their errors, he was not tearing them down, but attempting to build them up, to strengthen them, to help them to grow in Christ. His intend was not to frighten them or tear them down, making them feel ashamed and guilty. We cannot stand in judgment of others, especially other believers. If we think we belong to Christ and therefore have it all together then we need to see they also belong to Christ and have it all together just as much as we do. Or should we say we all do not have it as together as we should. But the fact remains, we all belong to Christ and so we should be encouraging and building each other up not pulling each other done. When we pull another down, it is usually because that makes us feel better about ourselves and that we would not do that which the other did. When we pull another down it is most likely because we think more of ourselves then we should or we are being self-centered. Paul wanted to assure them that what he said in his letters, then way he came across in words, is the way he is in person. God gave him the words to say in letter form, and God directs his life in person. He is not one way sometimes and another way other times. Although it may be true if we write we have the opportunity to ponder on exactly the right chose of words, edit, rewrite and consider revising the way we express our thoughts, in person we cannot take back any words loosed. Once we have spoken it is done, no edits. So as with Paul we might be more careful to be the same person both in the written and in the spoken word. We are in Christ, they are in Christ, and we build each other up with our words.