1 Corinthians 9: Enduring All Things

v. 12: If others have this right to your support, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

◇ In life, there are many unjust and infuriating situations. There are people who have spent decades in prison, falsely accused of murder, and suffered from being labeled as murderers. There are also people who have lived in extreme hardship for decades due to false accusations of espionage against their family. There are countless cases of people who have done good deeds but have been repaid with evil. How can we fathom the hearts of these people?

There are also many infuriating and unjust situations in the lives of Christians. With a wide variety of people in the church, there are so many different thoughts and opinions. People see the same situation and evaluate it differently, supporting or opposing it, sponsoring or blocking it, and becoming allies or enemies. All of this happens while believing in the same Christ and following the same cross.

It seems that Paul was really frustrated. He could not bear it any longer. Like other gospel preachers, Paul had the right to preach the gospel and maintain his livelihood, but he did not use this right. He was concerned that it might become an obstacle to spreading the gospel. He carried out his mission work through self-support, aiming to lead even one person to the path of salvation. Paul was human too, and who would enjoy being tired and exhausted? It seems like he is saying this because he could not bear the murmuring of people who thought he was doing self-supporting mission work due to some deficiency, unlike other preachers. Perhaps Paul regretted not enduring a little longer after writing this letter.

Let's not judge others based on our own thoughts and grumble without knowing the situation!

If it is done with the heart of Christ, let's endure a little more even if it is unjust!

♧ God, please help me endure a little more even when it's unfair! Do not let me judge others based on my own thoughts! Holy Spirit, guide me in truth!