Bible Reading Challenge #7
What does this teach me about my daily life?
For the last few years, the opening line of 1 Corinthians 4 has been a personal mission statement for me. Two things stand out:
Servant of Christ – As a follower of Jesus, I am to live my life in response to the One who gives me life. Without Christ, I am hopeless and helpless, so it is only right to willingly submit my life to God. Being a servant of Christ means daily striving to live out what John the Baptist said: “Less of me and more of You!”
Steward of the mystery – On Sunday, we talked about being good stewards of all that we have received from God. To steward is to wisely manage someone else’s treasure. We are called to steward our finances in a way that honors God, realizing that everything we have is received—only by His blessing. But not just finances: as followers of Jesus, we are called to steward the “mysteries of God.” While this phrase may sound cryptic, it simply means handling well the revealed truth that God loves all people, that Jesus came for all people, and that by believing in the work of the Cross and the Empty Tomb, life is offered to all.
If we do these two things well—serve Christ and steward the gospel—we can be confident that God will be honored through our lives.
What does this teach me about God?
Nothing is hidden from God. There are no secrets, no misdirection, no tricks that can conceal our sin. God sees all: our hearts, our desires, our thoughts, and our deeds.
In any other religion, this would create a terrible problem—leaving us unable to stand before God. But in Christianity, though we have many acts of rebellion against His will and way, our sin does not have the final word. The Good News—the very message we are called to steward—is also the message we must personally receive!
God is not deceived, but He is also not out to destroy us. The God who knows every thought and deed is the same God who loved us enough to send His only Son, so that through Him we might be made right and live with Him forever.
