When You’re Trying to Get Something Done

Early in life, it’s easy to get stuck in self-love, where everything revolves around you. It borders on narcissism—you love to see and hear your own name. If not self-love, then group-love becomes the trap, where peer pressure tests your values and Murphy’s Law always seems to visit. These stages are natural parts of human development. Yet, by grace, God keeps moving us forward.

If you make it to universal love, or reorder, you begin to see how everything fits together and value each part—large or small.

In 1 Corinthians 8–10, Paul shows us what this looks like. He refused to be distracted, sidelined, or stuck. Instead, he focused on getting something done for the Lord.
    •    He chose love over puffed-up knowledge (ch. 8).
    •    He chose responsibility in his liberty over insisting on his private rights (9:1–18).
    •    He chose community over ego (9:19–23).
    •    He chose preparation over neglect (9:24–27).
    •    And he chose God’s glory over issues (10:23–33).

Paul’s primary concern was winning people to Jesus (9:19–26). Surely you want to get something done for the Lord, too. But beware: your effectiveness can be disqualified by pride in information, pushing your own agenda, inflating your ego, neglecting discipline, or being issue-driven.

Instead, see the universal value of all things and all people—then go get something done for Christ.

Grace to you,
Cedric
Traditionalwriter@yahoo.com