Stand Firm, Be Brave, Love Always
Daily Scripture
1 Corinthians 16:8-14
8 I’ll stay here in Ephesus until the Festival of Pentecost. 9 In spite of the fact that there are many opponents, a big and productive opportunity has opened up for my mission here.
10 If Timothy comes to you, be sure that he has no reason to be afraid while he’s with you, because he does the work of the Lord just like I do. 11 So don’t let anyone disrespect him, but send him on in peace so he can join me. I’m waiting for him along with the brothers and sisters. 12 Concerning Apollos our brother: I strongly encouraged him to visit you with the brothers and sisters, but he didn’t want to go now. He’ll come when he has an opportunity.
13 Stay awake, stand firm in your faith, be brave, be strong. 14 Everything should be done in love.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
This is one of those passages we usually brush through. It’s near the end of the letter. At one level, it details the apostle Paul’s day-to-day plans, which we have no reason to care about. But verse 9 lets us see again Paul’s courageous leadership in action. He knows there are “many opponents,” but still sees not the opposition but “a big and productive opportunity” for his mission. And verses 13 and 14 invite all God’s people to the virtues that help us “lead courageously.”
- To grasp Paul’s casual comment that “there are many opponents” in Ephesus, read Acts 19:23-31. A whole amphitheater of Ephesian Greeks, in response to Paul’s preaching of Jesus, angrily shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” In Acts 19, you’ll see that Paul wanted to speak to that crowd, but the officials said that was too risky. How likely is it that Paul, seeing he had people’s attention, saw that as the “big and productive” ministry opportunity that had “opened up”?
- Paul defined how Christians can lead courageously (verse 14). “They must never imagine that the gospel can be helped forwards by brute force, bullying or arrogance. ‘Everything should be done in love’… has been the keynote of the whole letter, and Paul reminds them of it as he nears the close.” * Firmness while leading with love takes God-given strength, fixed on principle without devaluing people. How might “standing firm in love” take more courage than being harsher and more aggressive?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, for your cause I want to stand firm, be brave and be strong. But help me always show those qualities in ways shaped and guided by your overarching principle of acting in love. Amen.
GPS Insights
Drew Nall
Andrew Nall, who serves as Matthew’s Ministry Program Director, wrote today's Insights. He is passionate about being a Confirmation mentor, writing, and spending time with his two amazing kids and his wife Katy, who serves at Resurrection's West location.
Paul sets an example for us in this passage. He teaches us to think of conflict and opposition as an opportunity instead of something to avoid. There are so many things that oppose us in our lives. Whether it is a person that violently disagrees with you online, a situation that seems impossible, or an addiction that is threatening to take over your life, we have to learn how to deal with opposing forces and think of them the way that God does, as opportunities to grow closer to God and others. Opposition and conflict can sometimes bring out the worst in us when we give in to fear or anger. Yet, opposition can also bring out the best in us, bravery, compassion, and heroism. It is sometimes in the darkest moments that our faith and God’s love is able to shine the brightest.
My wife, Katy, recently return from a trip to Mexico where she had the opportunity to meet a bunch of high school students from Mexico who were getting educated in Texas. Many of them had to get up as early as 2 a.m. so that they could cross the border and make it to school on time. Katy told me that what struck her about these students was not how hard their lives were, but instead how passionate, determined, grateful, and compassionate the students were. Even though they faced many challenges that most of us cannot imagine, they faced these challenges with gratitude and determination. They have created a community that is built on courageous love and perseverance in the face of so many opposing forces.
We should all strive to learn from Paul and these high school students. When challenges and conflict appear in our lives, we should not run from them but face them. Facing them does not mean that we react in anger and hatefulness. Hate cannot defeat hate. Instead, we are called to act with love and gratitude, but to stand up for what we believe in. When you approach someone with love you are more likely to connect with even the most hard-hearted person. I want to always be brave like those students are, like Paul is. I pray that God will help me see the opposition in my life as an opportunity for God to work in me.
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Wright, N. T., Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians (The New Testament for Everyone) (p. 235). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.
