Be weak, and therefore strong

2 Corinthians
I'm focusing on 2 Corinthians again today.  Paul has a lot of good things to say.  In today's reading in chapter 12, he said that "when I am weak, then I am strong" (verse 10).  He delights in his weakness, because that is where Christ can shine through the strongest.  What a different mindset than most of us!  I usually try to hide my weaknesses and my ignorance because I want to seem as strong, smart, and put together as I possibly can.  Unfortunately, relying on our own 'strength' in this way can keep us from discovering and experiencing the strength of God, which is infinitely better than anything we could conjure up on our own. By withholding ourselves from others and refusing help, relying on our own power and not submitting to God, or reaching out to those around us, we are truly missing out on the life that God desires for us.  Community with him and with the rest of his children.  Our way may seem to be the better way, but really, if we are all pretending to be competent when we aren't, what kind of relationships are we living in?  I don't think we need to broadcast our weaknesses and inexperience to the world, but realizing that we need help, and being open to receiving it, will help us live a fuller, stronger life.

A servant of Christ

Today's key verse is 2 Corinthians 11:23 - "Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more." 
Paul is writing to the Corinthians, explaining why they should not listen to the false brothers coming in preaching a bad message but purporting to be Christians.  Instead, they should listen to Paul, because he brings the message of life and truth.  I appreciate Paul's approach to convincing the Corinthians that he is more reliable than the others.  Normally, he wouldn't bother mentioning his credentials, and as brothers and sisters in Christ, we shouldn't have to do that, as we are all equal under Christ.  But in order to reach these Corinthians, Paul meets them at their level, giving them the information that they would understand and respond to.  As he does this, however, he makes sure that they realize that what they are looking for is not what is truly important.  They're looking at appearance and outward show, not at the actual message.
In the end, we should take a cue from Paul and refrain from boasting about what we do and instead, just go out and extend God's kingdom on earth, as he did.  But if we've got to meet people at their level, we should do it with humility and not let ourselves become feel more important than we are.

Generosity overflowing

Doesn't it hurt to be generous sometimes?  I don't know about you, but even though I want to give freely to God's mission, or those in need, or just enjoy a good time with friends, there's something in me that says, "No, this is mine.  This is my money, my time."  But how liberating would it be to just let go?  If we have the right attitude, we would receive back one-hundred-fold the reward if we were generous versus reticent.  If we do it grudgingly, and all the while think about what else could have been done with our resources, there's really no point, although after a while it might become a little easier to do.  If you're one of the ones who finds it difficult to be benevolent, ask that God would develop that gift in you, and you'll see a difference.

Godly sorrow

2 Corinthians
Sometimes, sorrow and grief are necessary.  As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 7, we need to feel the pain of our mistakes in order to correct our behaviour and move on.  The key is that this sorrow comes from God's Spirit in us. Sometimes we can feel bad for no reason and try to change ourselves, or we feel bad because we got caught.  With godly sorrow, God's Spirit in us will work on our conscience and we'll be grieved because we disobeyed God.  When the Holy Spirit is involved, we have a far better chance at repentance and new life than we would on our own.
When you experience grief, sorrow, or guilt over your actions or lifestyle, ask God to work in your heart and he can renew you.

Light and momentary troubles

2 Corinthians
It sounds so nice and simple - our "light and momentary troubles" are achieving for us an eternal glory.  And yet, when we're living through these circumstances, they don't seem so light and momentary.  That's where our weekly gatherings with other Christians come in handy - we can encourage each other to keep going, to remember that there are far better experiences in store for us.  When we're all alone, it's a lot easier to get tunnel vision and start thinking that what is here and now is all there is.  Let's encourage each other to lift our eyes to a higher power and stay focused on God's kingdom, not ours.  With that new mindset, we'll be able to withstand anything!

The God of all comfort

2 Corinthians
The following passage from 2 Corinthians 1 brought to light (for me) a potential new way to think about suffering:

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

8We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our^a behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. 

Our experiences aren't for us alone.  What God has done in our lives should be shared with others to help them grow and mature.  We aren't alone in the world.  The stuff we've gone through, good and bad, can connect us with others.  The comfort that God has given in all circumstances can be a powerful tool in ministering to others as we demonstrate that through God, we can endure all things.