A few weeks ago I spent quite a bit of money having the refrigerator in the parsonage repaired. A friend had recommended the service company I used. The repairman was friendly and efficient. However, we continued to have issues with the refrigerator and I called the company again. After inspecting the refrigerator the serviceman said WYSIWYG: What you see is what you get. He said the problem was not in the new component he installed, but with an older component that attached to it – which could be fixed for another couple of hundred dollars. He should have made that observation before the first repair. I thanked him for his time and showed him the door. We’ll make do with what we have.
The point of this story is the same one Paul is making in the first few verses of chapter three: the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. Letters of recommendation were a big deal in Paul’s era. But, Paul was saying he didn’t need letters of recommendation because WYSIWYG. The people of the church in Corinth were his recommendation.
So it is with our church. We can have great advertising and great signs and brochures proclaiming the good qualities and good programs of our church. But, what really matters is what other people see when they encounter the people of our church. We can sing all day about the wonderful love of Jesus, but if people do not see Jesus in us, our singing would be like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. (This might be a good time to re-read 1 Corinthians 13.)
What does today’s reading reveal to you about God?
What does it reveal to you about yourself?
Think about what God wants you to do or remember about this passage.
Does God want you to change anything in your life?
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