“Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23, The Message)
I’ve read this passage in the NIV before, but I love this version of it.
A servant to any and all, I enter their world, to experience things from their point of view.
Not taking on their way of life, keeping my bearings in Christ.
I am free from the demands and expectations of christians and non-christians.
Free from the demands and expectations of this or that denomination.
Free from the demands and expectations of ‘liberals’ and ‘conservatives’ and all in between.
Free from the demands and expectations of the church, classis and synod.
Free from the demands and expectations of whiny church-goers and non-church-goers.
Free from the demands and expectations of this political party and that political lobby group.
And yet, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach them for Jesus!
I am a child of God and a Jesus-follower, and that identity is good enough for me.
I keep my bearings in Jesus because I get my bearings from Jesus.
I am open to learn from all, but in the end I only belong to Jesus.
The demand and expectation of Jesus is that I be humble and gracious to all.
The challenge for me is not just talk about it, I want to be in on it!
I want to join Jesus on his knees in serving a wide range of people.
“Religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists…
The defeated, the demoralized… whoever!
To lead them into a God-saved, Jesus-shaped life.
I resonate with this very much. Some though will accuse us of having no backbone – that we ‘flex’ to much – they want us to be more director/dictator like – making definite lines in the sand. I know their are lines the most important one is Jesus – who he is. We must do all to help others see Jesus and come to know him – and he will work out the ‘lines in the sand’. Help me Lord in the face of conflict to be a peace maker – trying to both sides see you Lord Jesus!