READ
1 Corinthians 9:23-27 (MSG)
“Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!
You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally.
I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No lazy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.”
DEVOTIONAL
What is the meaning of life?
Is there a purpose in suffering?
Is there life after death?
People have questions and desperately need hope. Believers in Jesus have the answers but often feel awkward sharing the Good News. We know the transforming power of the Truth, but fear looking like a Bible-thumper. So, how do we share the Good News in a way that feels organic and non-threatening? Let’s look at the strategy of the most influential leader in the early Church, the apostle Paul.
In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul talks about becoming a servant to all in order to reach them. He said he became all things to all men so that he could save them. Theodore Roosevelt noted, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” It seems the apostle Paul understood that to open people’s hearts up to the Truth, they needed first to feel valued and understood.
Paul anchored himself in Christ and refused to take on a worldly way of life—but remained committed to finding common ground with the people he was trying to reach. His primary mission was to reach people with the hope of Jesus Christ, but his methods remained flexible as he adapted to each people group.
Some questions to consider as you minister to others:
- Am I looking for ways to find common ground?
- Am I modeling the life of Jesus through servanthood?
- Am I staying anchored in Christ or adopting their way of life?
- When I share my faith, is it centered around hope, life, and the Good News?
PRAYER
Jesus, teach me how to effectively share the Good News with those around me. Help me to find common ground, live a life of servanthood, and stay anchored in you. Open up the hearts of those around me and let the conversations flow with the leading of your Holy Spirit and not my striving. Use me to lead others into Truth. In Jesus’ name, amen.
