5 things

Be on guard.

Stand true to what you believe.

Be courageous.

Be strong.

And everything you do must be done with love.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14



Paul wrote these closing remarks 2000 yrs ago in his first letter to the followers of Jesus living in Corinth.

Corinth was a tough city to live in back then.

(What city wasn't, back then?!)



But what Paul wrote back then applies to us today.

I think we have the first 4 things down.

It's that fifth one that trips us up.

We seem to be good at coming on strong (especially us evangelicals with strong white privilege).

But we seem to be short on the loving part.

Sometimes we use the "stand for what you believe" part as an excuse to be judgmental, insensitive, inappropriate, downright rude, while consigning people to future in hell.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but none of that seems to be our job.

Isn't it the job of the God Holy Spirit to convict?

Isn't it the job of God the Father to judge?

Isn't it the job of God the Son to redeem?

And isn't our job to love - a facet of being a follower of Jesus that seems to be in significantly short supply these days?


And correct me again if I'm wrong, but how many of us would be followers of Jesus today if those who influenced us to follow Him had used a brick bat of condemnation on us?

Weren't most of us wooed & won into believing in Him & following Him by people who reached out to us through the love of God channeling through them?

Yes, these folks led us to see the futility of the direction & arch our thinking & lives was taking us.

But all of it was done in a why & with a spirit of love for us as individuals, not as heathens needing a spiritual kick in the butt - or elsewhere!

The people who showed me the way were more like... 
"hey, look, here's the deal... 
here's what you're missing... 
here's the life being offered you... 
here's Someone who simply wants to love you & be in relationship with you."

And the Holy Spirit reeled me in with that simple, loving presentation.

And I've seen Him do it thousands of times to others.



Yes, be on guard...
& stand true...
& be courageous...
& strong.

But most of all, & strongest & most courageous of all, be loving & caring about the person with whom you're connecting, allowing God to channel His love through you.