Day 257: Galatians 1:1-24

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” - Galatians‬ ‭1:10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

In the short term, it is easiest to try and please everyone. Yet as time passes, we see the impossibility of it.

Paul comes straight at the churches in Galatia. He was shocked that they were already turning away from the pure Gospel, taking the easy way, which always claims to be the best way.

Yet here’s the thing. We will always compromise the truth when we seek to please everyone. And to top it off — we will fail miserably.

James Dunn says it well when commenting on this verse: “Paul implies, clearly, that his commitment to Christ as his Lord was so complete, his obligations to Christ so absolute, that his actions as an apostle of Christ were directed by him alone, and that any other course would be unthinkable to him.”

As Christians, our primary goal should be to please our Lord Jesus instead of people. We will never come to the point where the Good News of Jesus can be improved upon, no matter what the mainstream voices are saying.

Our Lord Jesus is the one that will take care of us during this life and as we step into eternity.

Day 256: 2 Corinthians 13:1-13

“Since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.” - 2 Corinthians 13:3-4 ESV

Colin Kruse, commenting on these verses, says this about Paul: "He had learnt that the power of Christ rested upon the weak, not the impressive."

What do you notice as you walk into a church service? Do you see bland pieces of bread and room-temperature cups of juice? Do you hear songs sung that could use some auto-tuning? Do you hear a sermon that could use more dynamics or fewer UHs and UMs? Do you see cobwebs or updates that need to take place in the building? Do you see people with flaws that flood the seats? Everywhere we look, we see weakness.

Yet underneath all of this weakness is intense power with which no darkness can cope. God is up to something.

Resurrection power, we realize, can always be dismissed by obvious weakness. Yet we know what is really happening. Jesus is still doing the miraculous work of transforming lives!

One of the things I love about Paul's language as he ends this letter is that he closes with the hope of his third visit. He loves these people in Corinth. Even though they were a headache sometimes, he was still confident that "Jesus Christ lived in them." The same is true of us today.

Day 255: 2 Corinthians 12:11-21

"For I fear...I fear..." - 2 Corinthians 12:20-21

One of the scariest things about living life is the fear that you will spend mass amounts of time and energy on something that matters to you and that it will amount to nothing. We want our investments to show gains, not just financially but in every area of life.

Paul's phobeo (fear) is a real one that many of us have. He actually only uses the word once in the original language. So it is him saying "I fear" and then the dumping of an insane list of dark living in which the people in Corinth had dwelt before his arrival with the message of Jesus.

His nightmare was their return to the sin they had so radically denied. The fighting. The bad-mouthing. The defaming. The chaos. The sexual confusion. The feelings-driven-life.

Ultimately, the abandonment of truth in exchange for the lies of the world.

So, is it worth the risk to invest in others if this is a real possibility?

Yes, because some sweet Christian initially did the same for you, and if grace can do its work in you, then Jesus can (and will) do the same for another lost soul. Keep making those eternal investments in others. The profit share is one we will enjoy forever in heaven.

Day 254: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9

For centuries, Christians have debated about what Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was. Was it a sickness? A certain sin with which he struggled? Perhaps a disability? We really have no way of knowing, except that it was a 14-year struggle, 14 years to be reminded of his weakness and his need for God's power to be perfected.

It is mind-blowing for most of us to consider this possibility. It is the idea that God would allow us to experience extreme pain to keep us from thinking that we are somehow evolved and elevated to the point we no longer need God's strength.

This may make us think of Job. He endured an endless amount of pain from the hand of Satan -- simply because God was confident in his character.

Job's words speak volumes to us today when we think of Paul as well: "But he knows the way I take; when he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold." - Job 23:10

Are you in a difficult season of life right now? Are you confused as to why God has allowed you to experience it? Be rest assured that God is up to something big, and He wants to mold you to become even more like His Son, Jesus. The Devil won’t get the last word.

“Father God, keep re-working my belief in what true strength looks like. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Day 253: 1 Corinthians 11:16-33

“And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” - 2 Corinthians 11:28 ESV

As you read through our passage for today, you may have noticed the heavy sarcasm that Paul uses at the beginning. The "so am I" statements are then followed by a laundry list of difficulties he faced. Paul uses the word danger nine times in all of his letters, and eight of them appear here in 11:26.

Talk about being vulnerable. Paul is laying his heart on the line to convince these Christians in Corinth that he is the real deal.

Craig Groeschel is often quoted as saying, "People would rather follow a leader who is always real than one who is always right."

Haven't you found this to be true in your life? Someone who seemingly has it all together is nearly impossible to identify with. This is because we all struggle.

Paul admits to feeling daily "pressure" and that it was causing "anxiety" when it came to caring for these churches. The Greek word he used for pressure is epistasis, which can also be translated as burden. Burdens threaten to attack us all with anxiety. This is a sign of being a human who cares for others.

These feelings do not disqualify us; they can actually help us become better leaders.

Day 252: 2 Corinthians 11:1-15

“And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” - 2 Corinthians 11:14 ESV

Knofel Staton made an interesting point when he wrote the following about this verse: “The word serpent in Genesis 3 is a Hebrew word that can also mean brightness. Satan masquerades himself as an angel of light as far back as the Garden of Eden.”

This is a frightening thought that may make us wonder if we can trust anyone who claims to be a Christian leader. Can anyone be trusted?

The key, it seems, is found in a Greek word Jesus and Paul used quite often as they taught: gregoreo. It can be translated as awake or watchful or to be alert.

We cannot become lazy and just accept whatever someone tells us is accurate. We need to fact-check everything against Scripture and pay attention to motives.  Our enemy, Satan (Devil), will not be backing down till Jesus throws him into the lake of fire (see Revelation 20:10). He will also present well -- not with a cape and horns.

May we ask God for discernment to know when Satan is trying to play us for a fool. May we also not be taken in by any teaching or lifestyle just because it looks good.

Jesus, deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Day 251: 2 Corinthians 10:1-17

“Our goal is to stay within the boundaries of God’s plan for us.” - 2 Corinthians 10:13 NLT

Commenting on this verse, William Baker writes, “In contrast to his opponents, he will seek a standard of assessment that is true and measurable. This measurement comes from God himself, not some mere human contrivance.”

Self-promotion is something that our culture considers to be of high value. Even in the first century, some were seeking fame and authority by way of Christianity.

Yet our goal should not be to promote ourselves; it is to glorify Christ’s greatness.

God is the one who sets the standard, and we are the ones to boast in Him gratefully.

The word for measurement (boundaries) in this verse is kanon, which would later be used to describe how the New Testament books were decided upon.

Jesus, we commit ourselves to boast only of what You have done. We are instruments in Your hands. Use us as You see fit and as what will bring You the maximum glory. You bring the flash; we will bring the obedience.

Day 250: 2 Corinthians 9:1-15

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” - 2 Corinthians‬ ‭9:7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

There is nothing quite so tangible in this world that says so much about us than what we do with money. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 6:21: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Our hearts will always follow the investments of our treasures.

Paul is here laying out the “why” and the “how” behind this gift. The Christians in Corinth needed to know why they were giving and how they should give it.

1. God is the supplier. He’s the one who provides all that we have. We don’t deserve financial supply, and we aren’t the owners, even after it’s in our possession. As the Psalmist sings, “The earth is the Lord’s and all it contains.”

2. We are to give intentionally. Sitting down to plan our giving is the most responsible way to give, and it shows God we are serious about honoring him. He doesn’t need our gifts. Our generosity glorifies God, benefits others, and protects our hearts from selfishness and materialism.

Giving in the name of Jesus is never a waste. It is an eternal investment that will forever be bouncing back with compound interest.

“It is not difficult to suggest why God delights in the cheerful giver. He himself is such a giver and desires to see this characteristic restored among those who were created in his image.” - Kruse, C. G. (2015). 2 Corinthians, (Vol. 8, p. 217)

Day 249: 1 Corinthians 8:16-24

“For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.” - 2 Corinthians‬ ‭8:21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Anytime money is involved, there will be an opportunity for sketchy dealings. Paul has organized a significant fundraising effort to help the poor in Jerusalem, and now it’s time to make the delivery. How do the Christians in Corinth know that he can be trusted?

Paul says, “We,” to show that he’s not alone in this endeavor. This is by far and away the most crucial step in accountability. Left by ourselves, our resolve to make the right decisions breaks down. When we include others in the process, we protect ourselves from the chance of madness by isolation.

Paul also uses the Greek word pronoeo which can be translated, as the NIV does, taking pains or to perceive before.  Being above reproach is going to take proper planning and will not happen accidentally. We have to assume we are capable of any evil and then take appropriate action to avoid it.

Lastly, Paul knew he needed to have integrity because all eyes were on him. God was watching. All the churches across the Mediterranean were as well. This should be enough to keep us on track as well.

“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” - 2 Chronicles 16:9 NIV

Day 248: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

“For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia” - 2 Corinthians 8:1-2 NLT

There are all kinds of words in these two verses that generally aren't paired when we hear people speaking day-to-day. Such as…

Affliction —> Joy

Poverty —> Generosity

These churches in Macedonia had been given (by God) a greater perspective on what it means to live the best life possible. Affliction and joy, for most people, don't belong together. We weather the distress to someday get to the joy. When we lack funds, we usually aren't angling as to how we can bless others financially.

Yet this is what happens when Jesus steps into our hearts. He reorders everything. The last are first; the first are last. We start counting it joy when we face trials of many kinds.

We start, for the first time, to live in complete freedom.

We cross from bios (mere earthly living) to zoe (eternal living).

Paul is so bold as even to mention generosity as an “act of grace.” Giving is an act of grace for the giver and the receiver. In all of this, we see generosity closing the gap on disparity, even in the midst of poverty.

The challenge for us today is to consider how we might be more generous than we currently are. Does your giving to the local Church or other Christian non-profits stretch you, or do you barely feel it? May we continue to step into this enjoyable “act of grace” today!