February 29                                                                                       1 Corinthians 9:  16-27

A Good Servant to God

Did you ever reflect and ask yourself, what did I learn in Sunday School?

I liked Sunday School very much and have fond memories. I recall one particular Sunday School teacher. I don’t remember her name, but I can picture her face.  Her sweet smile, and gentle voice. Her stories and lessons were heartfelt and touched me. I took from her class a very important lesson: “Show God your love for him by serving and helping others but do this from your heart, humbly and with Jesus’ Love”. To this day, I try to live this lesson.

In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (1Cor 9: 16-27), he talks about his service to God showing humanness, sacrifices, humility, sensitivity, and faithfulness in mission.

In Paul’s attempt to connect with the Corinthians, he wanted them to know that he was just a man on a mission. Even though he established himself as an apostle, he rejected all the rights that go along with this position. He was a human who had the same life experiences as they did “playing the game of life”, the good as well as the sacrifices. The one exception is that he had a spiritual message for them.

Paul “sowed his seeds of Christianity” with humility. He did not expect payment of material things or accolades for his mission as others who preached the gospel so often did. “I do this for the sake of gospel, that I may share in its blessings” (1Cor 9: 23).

Paul’s sensitivity and respect for people’s differences enabled him to spread his message. He was sensitive to their needs and identified with them. He talked in a style that every individual could relate to, never being unfaithful to God’s law. “To the weak I became weak, so that I might gain the weak.  I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some” (1Cor 9: 22).

At the end of the letter, Paul tells the Corinthians to live their lives as he does with all the discipline of an athlete.  To take care of themselves, body and mind, so they can spiritually grow.

The Apostle Paul is an example of a good servant to God. He gave his time, his talents, and his love to teaching God’s word and spiritually guiding the Corinthians to Christianity.

There are many ways that we can all be good servants to God: as a spiritual leader (like Apostle Paul), being a teacher of God’s word (as my second grade Sunday School teacher), by giving out of our abundance and helping those most in need, and by loving our neighbors…these are just a few. The most important factors to being a good servant to God are to do it without expectation of reward or accolades, humbly, and with all your heart and the love that our Lord Jesus Christ taught us!

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, help me to be a good servant to you any way I am able, remembering to always be humble, to do it with the love that my Lord Jesus Christ taught me, and with all my heart! Amen.

 

~ Nancy Bennett