Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9:16)
At times, we all have a tendency to find shade under the tree of “woe,” which is a poor place to find protection from the Son.
- Woe is me, I got cut from the team
- Woe is me, I did not get accepted into my college of choice
- Woe is me, I did not get the job I was looking for
- Woe is me, I was pass over again for that promotion
- Woe is me, there is too much month left at the end of the money
We learn to “woe” at an early age and it can follow us throughout life if we are not careful. Yet, there is a “woe” that is worthy in our conversation and that “woe” comes from the pen of the apostle Paul. So convicted and captured by the gospel was Paul, he measured his entire existence in terms of the truths of the gospel flowing through his words, his works, and his witness. For Paul, his life was all about Christ and his heart beat for nothing smaller after his Damascus-Road experience, when Jesus changes him from the inside out.
This is to be the condition of every child of God. Not that we are all vocational preachers of the gospel according to our gifts and calling. Yet, for every disciple of Christ, we are to be a channel and conduit of the love of God in Christ Jesus. The truths of the gospel are to flow through our thoughts, words, deeds, and desires. We are to preach the gospel to all those we come in contact with both our lips and our lives. We are to declare the gospel and demonstrate it, regardless of the cost or circumstance. And when we don’t, we find ourselves in the same condition as Paul, conscious of the worthy “woe.”
So, have you been sharing Jesus with others lately? Is your life a confession of the truths of the gospel to all those you come in contact with? Are God’s Kingdom priorities your priorities in both your personal and professional life? Let us never waste another “woe” by keeping our focus on our King and expanding His Kingdom everywhere we go.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 