Title: Am I Willing?/ Topic: Commitment

Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 3; 2 Corinthians 4; 2 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 6

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:3-10
3 We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Observation: Look what Paul is willing to go through to minister the gospel to others. He endures hardships of all kinds including beatings, imprisonments, hunger and sleeplessness. He keeps himself pure and sincere, speaking truthfully yet endures dishonor as well as honor, bad report as well as good, and goes through being called phony even though he is genuine. Those who should know him best often behave as if they don't know him at all. His worldly goods he has given up yet he realizes he has everything in Christ and he rejoices even through sorrow.

Application: How committed are we to God? Would we be willing to do what Paul did if it meant we would win many people to the Lord? Do we care more about our comforts than winning souls? How do we respond to people who we've ministered to a lot but who treat us as if they have forgotten what our character is like and condemn us as impostors? Do we have a “whatever it takes” attitude? Do we start blaming God or complaining when we have trouble in life or do we depend even more on him? We need to search our souls for the answers and repent where necessary.

Prayer: Father, I have experienced only some of what Paul experienced but not nearly all of it. I want to know that I would stand for you through anything Lord. Make me strong in my spirit. I know I need to do my part by embracing spiritual disciplines and spending time with you. As I do that, help me to grow stronger every day in the power of your spirit. There is nothing on earth, no relationship on earth, more important to me than you. I want to be a daughter that you are proud of. May I grow in the exercise of my faith so that I am a light to many and win souls as Paul did.
This I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.