Heaviness of Paul’s heart
Key Verses: 4, 8, 11, 14,
Not every letter that Paul wrote is included in the Scriptures. One of those letters written to the Corinthians must have been fairly distressing to them. It seems as though they were hurt by what Paul said. Have you ever hurt someone unintentionally by what you wrote, perhaps in an email or a text message? Paul had asked them to deal with a sin issue and they had. Now Paul encourages them to accept that person’s repentance as genuine, and bring them back into fellowship. Satan wants nothing more that our destruction. He uses isolation against us. We are meant to be vitally connected to God and to each other. There are no island believers. We must be connected. When we feel alone, doubts can quickly lead to despair. Paul does not want this to happen with them.
Even when Paul was struggling, God was still faithful and worked through him. He uses the picture of a victory parade filled with celebration and wonderful victory flower bouquets. Everywhere Paul went, there was the smell of victory in Christ. As lives were changed, that glorious smell spread. Everyone could tell something powerful had happened. There was no denying it.
As we walk through life, what kind of smell are we leaving behind? Do people respect you for your stance, or do they run and hide, rolling their eyes? Oftentimes we have some influence over the way people perceive the Gospel. If we ourselves are filled will love and compassion, forgiveness and patience, people will see that the Gospel has a positive effect. If we are impatient and rude, superior and condescending, then a different effect will result. The degree to which we allow the Spirit to change us is the degree to which our smell will be a godly one. Our lives need to reflect God’s grace.
The Arnold Journey 