What Will We Do With Our Time?
Reflection: In today’s reading, Paul makes a fine case
for ministers to be paid by the flock they shepherd. He gives examples from the world of workers
receiving what is due to them via their labor. He then argues that the
spiritual blessing the Corinthian’s have received leading to eternal life
through his ministry to them, should far outweigh material compensation he
would need for the basics of ordinary life.
(i.e. food, drink, spouse) Even though Paul makes a fine argument of why
he should get paid, he ends the passage by saying, “We did not use this right
so as to not put anything in the way as a hindrance to the gospel.”
This is why Paul had the side job of “tentmaking”, so he
wouldn’t have to rely on the church for his daily needs. He wanted to make sure no one could say he
was preaching the gospel to earn a paycheck.
In his words he wanted to preach “free of charge”. Yesterday,
Paul talked about the benefits of being single, and I am sure one of them was
he could do his work as a tentmaker to pay his bills, and then use the rest of
his time for his missionary efforts.
Since he wasn’t married and had no children he had the availability to
do this.
Most pastors today have wives and children and must
balance their time between their call as a pastor, making time for building
their relationship with their spouse, and shepherding and providing for their
children. I was just at a great
conference yesterday where my longtime frien, Rich Melheim, introduced us to what
he calls the “Faith5”. These are five simple steps where families can spend
5-10 minutes a day, “sharing highs and lows”, “reading a bible verse”, “talking
about the connection between the first two”, praying and blessing their kids
before they go to bed. He reasons if
parents make sure their kids do an hour of homework every night, and then
probably an hour of some kind entertainment, could we not enjoin them to spend
5-10 minutes a day connecting with each other and God. Here is a link if you would like to read
more:
The most valuable commodity today is time. Paul needed time to provide for himself, so
he could spend most of his time sowing the seeds of the Gospel. How do you use your time? Is your time reflective of your most
important values in your life? Obviously
most of us have to work to provide a living for ourselves and/or families, but
what do we do with the rest of our time?
What is could spend some time (5-10 minutes/day) with your kids today
talking about their high’s and low’s, thanking God for their highs and praying
for those lows (prayer), reading a bible verse together, and then finally blessing
each other reminding each other that we are marked with the cross of Christ and
sealed with the Holy Spirit forever.
Wouldn’t this be a good way to spend your time? I am pretty convinced the answer is yes!
Psalm 55:20-23
20 My companion attacks his friends;
he violates his
covenant.
21 His talk is smooth as butter,
yet war is in
his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,
yet they are
drawn swords.
22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous
be shaken.
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit of
decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful
will not live
out half their days.
But as for me, I trust in you.
Job 36:1-26
Elihu continued:
2 “Bear with me a little longer and I will show you
that there is
more to be said in God’s behalf.
3 I get my knowledge from afar;
I will ascribe
justice to my Maker.
4 Be assured that my words are not false;
one who has
perfect knowledge is with you.
5 “God is mighty, but despises no one;
he is mighty,
and firm in his purpose.
6 He does not keep the wicked alive
but gives the
afflicted their rights.
7 He does not take his eyes off the righteous;
he enthrones
them with kings
and exalts them
forever.
8 But if people are bound in chains,
held fast by
cords of affliction,
9 he tells them what they have done—
that they have
sinned arrogantly.
10 He makes them listen to correction
and commands
them to repent of their evil.
11 If they obey and serve him,
they will spend
the rest of their days in prosperity
and their years
in contentment.
12 But if they do not listen,
they will
perish by the sword
and die without
knowledge.
13 “The godless in heart harbor resentment;
even when he
fetters them, they do not cry for help.
14 They die in their youth,
among male
prostitutes of the shrines.
15 But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering;
he speaks to
them in their affliction.
16 “He is wooing you from the jaws of distress
to a spacious
place free from restriction,
to the comfort
of your table laden with choice food.
17 But now you are laden with the judgment due the
wicked;
judgment and
justice have taken hold of you.
18 Be careful that no one entices you by riches;
do not let a
large bribe turn you aside.
19 Would your wealth or even all your mighty efforts
sustain you so
you would not be in distress?
20 Do not long for the night,
to drag people
away from their homes.
21 Beware of turning to evil,
which you seem
to prefer to affliction.
22 “God is exalted in his power.
Who is a
teacher like him?
23 Who has prescribed his ways for him,
or said to him,
‘You have done wrong’?
24 Remember to extol his work,
which people
have praised in song.
25 All humanity has seen it;
mortals gaze on
it from afar.
26 How great is God—beyond our understanding!
The number of
his years is past finding out.
1 Corinthians
9:1-12a
Paul’s Rights as an Apostle
9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen
Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? 2 Even though I
may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my
apostleship in the Lord. 3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on
me. 4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to
take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s
brothers and Cephas? 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not
work for a living. 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a
vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the
milk? 8 Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same
thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it
is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10 Surely
he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever
plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the
harvest. 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap
a material harvest from you? 12 If others have this right of support from you,
shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the
contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
Hear, you who are
far away, what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge my might. Isaiah
33:13
Paul wrote: We know
that God has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in
word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. 1
Thessalonians 1:4-5
Heavenly Father,
you promised not to forsake us. You hear us no matter where we are and
acknowledge us when we cry out to you in time of distress. When we think we are
destroyed, you are there. Thank you for choosing us every day. Amen.
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