Ba-ool.. (Paul)

Paul used the gospel and testimonies to help people turn their hearts to God (v.8). This took toil and hardships (v.9) to care for them and train them as parents do to their children (v.7,11). And it's because Paul had to lay down any desires to gain personal respect and had to love the unlovables (v.4,6). Yet he taught with authority and by example (vv.4-5).

He's an awesome model of a servant who laid down his life to become one with God, and to see things from God's eyes. To put this passage into perspective - first, God loves us as his children. Hence Jesus, a God-man, died for us and we now carry the gospel message of our salvation. And striving to live the gospel message builds in us testimonies of how God works in us. Then God's love for us will shine through us, spreading into the world around us.

I started to see that I got the meaning of "serving" completely backwards. I always ask, "how much work?", then "when is it due?" But... am I serving to make other people at church happy? Am I serving to feed my own sense of accomplishment/satisfaction? I bypassed God in my definition of serving.

Paul had it right. Having relationship with God in itself is sufficient, because God represents everything that is good. God does not demand a person to be an elder or a deacon. But Paul boasts in his relationship with God, and that was his sole driving force in serving. He says in Romans 3:27 - " Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith."

Paul says in today's passage that he went through "toil" and "hardships". I'm sure these two words mean a lot, like a LOT, more to him than us who are just reading. But because he had faith - er, relationship with God - he was able to love and serve the people he ministered to. Are you burnt out? Me too. Let's get our focus back on the Word!