Wednesday, September 11: 1Corinthians 3- A passion for God's body, the church.

Paul is riled up in this chapter; animated, angry, peeved… because the people of Corinth are not doing what is best for the body, the church. They are jealous and quarreling, strutting their stuff about which teacher they follow! Like a mama bear fighting to protect her cubs, Paul rears his neck hairs and confronts the childish behavior of the Corinthians…

I found myself flipping to my world…

Do we act like the immature Corinthians when we laud pastor so-n-so, when we make our identity what earthly teacher we follow instead of making it clear that we follow Christ?

Do we act like the immature Corinthians when we pit church against church, growing jealous for our fellowship at the expense of others? Do we act like immature Christians when we badmouth other churches lead by pastor so-n-so?

Through Paul’s pen, God reveals a tenacious passion for His Church and I (we) best not do ANYTHING that harms, injures or destroys God’s possession, i.e., His Church!

Lord God, what about me? How am I doing with regard to Your Church? Am I strengthening or weakening Her? Am I sewing Her together or tearing Her apart… even a little bit?

Lord, even in my thought-life, do I pit church against church or teacher/pastor against teacher/pastor and so hurt Your body? Do I, Lord?

Give me a purer passion for Your Church and a companion desire to build and care for Your body. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.