Be Immitators

We often hear the passage where Paul tells the Corinthians to imitate him as he imitates Christ, but often we forget the context. In 1 Corinthians 4 Paul gives this list of the way he responds to things:

To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, ¹²and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; ¹³when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.

While reading this I felt bad about some of these that I struggle with, but he then goes on to say:

¹⁴I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.

He doesn't write it to condemn the Corinthians, but rather to exemplify Christ-like living.

Who do you know living like this that you could learn to imitate?

Are you living in a way that those who would imitate you would be imitating Christ?

Living like Paul....Thoughts from the Shower

I was in the shower the other day (not that that is unusual) and I was thinking about life (again, nothing out of the norm) when suddenly I thought of Paul, and his first letter to the church in Corinth. 1 Corinthians 15:14 says, " And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain." and three verses later in verse 17 he says. "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and your are still in your sins." Basically what Paul is saying is, if the resurrection isn't real, then his preaching, as well as his faith, is a waste; it's useless. Many of us have heard this verse before, I think we had to memorize it for AWANA. Anyway, what I realized is that Paul's life was centered on his faith and his preaching. These both revolved around the resurrection. So, in essence if Christ wasn't raised from the dead, Paul's life was a waste. Again, nothing new, but, get this, this is the part that never clicked before (or at least I don't remember it ever clicking), if Paul's life would be a waste if the resurrection weren't real, would mine be as well?

I mean think about it. If Christ didn't rise from the dead, how much of your life would be wasted? Would it be a couple hours on Sunday morning? A few minutes before meals? 15 minutes in the morning?

Because, it seems to me, that whatever time spent related to Christ would be a waste if this were the case. How much of your time is that? How much time of your life revolves around Him, Him crucified, and Him raised?

It's ironic, because, If Christ is alive, then all time spent without Him is a waste, and if He isn't, then all time spent for Him is.

Knowing He is alive, How much of our life is a waste? How much of it isn't spent for Him?

Anyway, it was an interesting thought in th shower. Hopefully you think the same.