Reading

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Devotion

Peace be with you!

The Corinthians are like teenagers who know the difference between right and wrong but still test the boundaries. Teenagers know what is expected of them and what they can get away with. They know what bugs their parents and how to butter them up. They start making their own decisions about their future as they make decisions about college applications and jobs. Yet teenagers are still children who do not understand the ways of the world.

The Corinthians continue to hold on to jealousy and quarrels among themselves. They hold on to worldly things: money, power, and possessions. By doing so, the Corinthians are holding themselves back from knowing God the Father and his plans for them. As long as you hold on to things and the ways of the world, your maturity growth in faith and maturity will be stunted because you cannot have both. You have to make a choice: God or the world.

Paul explains to the Corinthians that there is more to life than what the world has to offer. Paul explains how the lens of Jesus’ crucifixion is how we are to see and understand the world. Jesus died on the cross to restore our broken relationship with God the Father. Jesus died to take the cruelty of the world and replace it with God’s love. Jesus died to be among us and to open the lines of communication between you and God.

Yet the Corinthians want to make the good news about Paul and Apollos. Paul says, “Just stop; it is not about Apollos or me. We are just doing the groundwork of planting and watering—telling you the good news of Jesus’ crucifixion. However, the good news is about God who is with you and is nurturing you to do his work.” Paul planted and Apollos watered the seed of the good news in the Corinthians’ hearts, but God fertilizes their hearts so they can live out their lives according to his will. The good news is about God and what he is doing in the world through you.

There are times when we act like teenage Christians — testing God’s grace. We know we should not care about our clothes, but we do. We know we are to forgive and love our enemies, but they really stepped over a line last time. We know we are to love our neighbors, but must we go to the bad part of town?  We have our reasons— too time consuming, people will never change, and [whatever “it” is]. God answers back, “I could have said the same about you, but I have made you my child.”

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending people into our lives to tell us the good news. Help us to share the good news with others. Nurture us as your chosen people. Send us where no one else wants to go. Thank you for never giving up on us. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. Who planted the good news in your heart?
2. How do you continue to choose God over the world? Why is he important to you?
3. How does God continue to nurture you?