Whatever it Takes

 DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

WHATEVER IT TAKES

1 Cor 9:19-23

19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

NIV

 

More of Pauls's defense and yet we can see there is a truth that we must engage in in order to learn how we should be living. The point here is that we should not hold so fast, or be so rigid in our way of doing things that we make everyone feel so uncomfortable around us that they what absolutely nothing at all to do with the gospel. Does that mean we have to forfeit our beliefs? Absolutely not, Paul sure didn’t, but he lived with love in his heart toward all men, so as to win them to Christ. We need to be able to identify with people, no matter their background, or current situation in life. If they dress differently than we do if they wear their hair with funny colors streaked through it if they smoke and drink if they use foul language, if they are covered in tattoos, or have face jewelry, if they have body odor, we need to love them, identify with where they are so as to share Christ with them. If they are super intelligent if they believe in numerology if they believe God is a woman if they chose to believe there is no God, if they think we are weak-minded and use religion as a crutch, we need to be able to identify with them, recognize where they are coming from so we can share the gospel in a way that it makes sense to them, in order to win them to Christ. But if we stand with our arms folded, our minds closed, holding them in contempt because they do not believe in Christ, passing judgment on them as sinners, we are foolish and weak-minded. If all we can do is conduct conversations about the gospel, we limit our opportunities to engage with those who need Jesus. If we hold them off at arm’s length because they are different from what we are, we will never be able to hug them with the love of Christ. If we can learn to be like Paul, and identify with them, understand where they are coming from, and know their struggle, which requires getting to know them and spending time with them, then we might share the love of Christ with them. Were we not once one of them? Maybe we do not consider that we ever were like them that we were born saved, and lived a pure and holy life from our first breath, but that simply is not so. Have we forgotten from where we came? Of course, we cannot forfeit our belief in Christ, however as Paul did, we can become all things for all people, whatever it takes.