By Reverend J. Loren Russell, BA, MDiv
2 Corinthians 6:1, 6 NLT
“As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it.
We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.”
Each and every day, we ought to try to do one kind thing for someone other than ourselves. I don’t say that as a means for us to gain some reward, but that we might pass on to others the kindness shown to us.
In the text, Paul writes to the Corinthian church as God’s partner to encourage and urge those who had received God’s grace not to ignore that marvelous gift. He’s encouraging them not to waste the love and the kindness that God had given them. He speaks for God and tells them that they were shown favor when it was time, and saved on the day that they needed it (v. 2). This undeserved kindness is described as a marvelous gift. You see, even while they were committing their shameful deeds, the Lord extended His kindness to them.
Having established the source and power of the Lord’s kindness, Paul now shifts his focus to his ministry. He has been saved and commissioned to be an ambassador for Christ to the Jew and the Gentiles. His hope and plan is that each and every day his ministry will not be a barrier or an obstacle, but an encouragement to his readers to receive that marvelous gift.
Paul’s ministry has been full of difficulties; beatings, imprisonment, angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights and gone without food. But, he says, he and his companions have proven that they are servants of God by their purity, understanding, patience, kindness, and sincere love because of the Holy Spirit that is within them (vv. 5-6).
Every day, he says, it is the power of God’s truth that works through them, that makes them able to faithfully preach God’s word (v. 7). Paul puts it this way; “We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything” (2 Corinthians 6:8-10 NLT). It’s tight, but it’s right! It is also a good example for us to follow.
What kind thing can we do for someone other than ourselves and do it everyday? We can share God’s love by sharing our love. We can care enough about the eternal soul of our brothers and sisters that we are willing to put ourselves in harms way so that they can know the marvelous gift of God’s kindness. That’s how we can be sure to do one kind thing for someone other than ourselves everyday.
God Bless +++
Rev. J. Loren Russell is an associate minister at both Goodwill and The Greater Universal Baptist Churches in the Bronx, President/CEO of The JLR Company for Church Financial &. Strategic Consulting, and hosts “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” on Soul 1 Radio, Mondays 8:00 – 10:00 PM. Listen by phone” at 626-226-1448. Be sure to Friend “Matters of Faith” on Facebook and email us at mattersoffaith.mof@gmail.com. Order your copy of Matters of Faith: The Book at Book Blues.
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