With Energy

 DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

WITH ENERGY

1 Cor 16:5-9

5 After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you — for I will be going through Macedonia. 6 Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. 7 I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.

NIV

We are coming to Paul’s closing comments in this letter and much of these comments are of a personal nature. However, there are a few truths that we could glean here. The first is that he makes this comment about continuing to stay where he is, for the time being, because a great door for effective work has opened to him. The second is that there are many who oppose him. What we can learn here, is that we need to know that we are where we are supposed to be and one clue to that is we will have an open door before us for effective work. It is interesting, the Greek word translated here as effective is energes, which is easy to see how we get the English word energy. There was an opportunity for Paul to exhibit energy in his ministry there. So, it can or should be with us.  We can tell we are supposed to be where we are because we have a great deal of energy in our service among the people. This also seems to us, that if we are to have this energy, then we should not be just sitting and soaking. This is not to say we should not pay attention to the message of the pastor, but that each of us should have some form of ministry and we should be doing it with energy. If we have no ministry, no open door for effective work, then perhaps we need to move on to a new location where there is this open door. We know that sounds a little anti-productive within the church that has its interest in numbers, and the amount of giving or tithing that is done. It seems like some churches need more than effective workers, but rather effective giving members. But then maybe that is their open door and their calling is to give, to support all the ministry of others and they do it with energy. The other point is about those who oppose. There are always going to be people who oppose another’s open door. This is usually spawned by a downright difference of opinion or jealousy, envy, and even hatred of our open door and that we are so energetic about our work. But opposition is always going to be a part of life, even in the church. However, that should never be the reason to stop running full steam ahead through the open door the Lord has provided for us, working tirelessly with all the energy God has provided us with until the day we leave this earth.