Pressure of Concern

 DEVOTION

THE 2^ND LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

PRESSURE OF CONCERN

2 Cor 11:21-29

What anyone else dares to boast about — I am speaking as a fool — I also dare to boast about. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.   25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?

NIV

  

When we read this how can we ever imagine having any hard times at all, especially because of our sharing the gospel with someone? Have we ever encountered or experienced a fraction of what Paul has in our efforts to tell someone about Jesus? We live in such comfort, almost in the lap of luxury compared to how Paul lived. Of course, we may not be as driven as he was to share the gospel no matter the cost. Oh, sure we could justify our lackluster efforts by thinking Paul was called by God to do what he did, called to share the gospel, and we are not. Sure, we know we are supposed to witness to people, but not like Paul did. After all, we live in a far more civilized society. People would not flog us or expose us to death. We certainly would not have to worry about being lashed thirty-nine times or beaten with rods. Nor would we have to be concerned about being stoned, or for that matter shipwrecked. It would also be true that we should not have to have any concerns about being in danger from rivers, bandits, or other Americans. It is true some Christians in other parts of the world might be in danger from Muslims, but not us, at least for now. We need not worry about being in danger in the city or the country or on the sea or even from those false teachers on television. It is unlikely we have ever gone hungry or been thirsty because we have gone without food in order to share the Gospel. It is also unlikely we have ever been cold and gone naked because of our desire to share Christ. No, we do in comparison live completely in the lap of luxury. Sure, we might fear losing our job if we spend too much time talking about Jesus. People might think we are a little over the top if we are always talking about Jesus. People might think we are arrogant if we know too much of the word of God and talk about it instead of the weather, or sports, or some other mundane topic, like other people, which is gossip and sin. Some people might think we are foolish for having the faith we do. But we should get real here, and see how easy we have it, and that should spur us on to do more. Even if we have some backlash from our sharing the gospel, then praise God. Maybe we should be more like Paul. In at least one sense we are. We feel weak, and we have that inward desire toward sin, although Paul calls it an inward burn. Still, we think that maybe we should be more like Paul in those other areas and be willing to give up some comfort for the sake of the Gospel and feel that pressure of concern for the church.