2 Corinthians 11 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO

Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God’s gospel to you free of charge? 2 Corinthians 11:7 – Paul, in his efforts to serve the church in Corinth without hindering them, decided to not take any support money from the Corinthians but instead used money from other churches to support his ministry while in Corinth. Yet how did the Corinthians take Paul not accepting their money? They began to believe Paul was a poor speaker, communicating worthless words, for only people unskilled in public speaking don’t take money for their speaking. Other communicators sharing different “gospels” were taking the Corinthian’s money, and instead of being appreciative of Paul’s sacrifice, they discounted him as a teacher not worth following or listening to. Hence why Paul later in this chapter had to “boast” about his credentials, proving he truly was an apostle of the Lord. Where the Corinthians failed was using worldly standards as means of evaluating someone’s call. If they can’t speak well then they can’t be called by the Lord…tell that to Moses. If they don’t match and understand the cultural norms then that can’t be used by God…tell that to John the Baptist. If they don’t tolerate some sins then they can’t ever be effective for the Lord…tell that to Jesus. Sadly in the church we can allow the world’s filters to be how we see each other’s calling. If they look a certain way, if they have a certain life story, if they don’t have certain degrees or experience…then the Lord can’t use them. As the Lord said to Samuel, God doesn’t look at people the way man sees people, and nor should we. God can use all types of people for His work. Instead of judging other people’s qualifications in being used by the Lord, let’s take a good look at our story and thank the Lord once again that He allows someone like us to be used for His work. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3134

Question To Ponder: Why should we not allow the world’s standards dictate someone effectiveness for serving the Lord?

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