2 Corinthians 13
By Pastor Brad
When Will You Ever Learn?
Paul sounds very exhausted and disappointed as he writes these “Final Warnings” to the church at Corinth. Having to deal with the same issue again and again would make anyone upset.
But then as you jump down to verses 11 and following, Paul appears to take on a different tone as he addresses the church; Rejoice, be restored, encourage others, be unified, live peacefully, and when you greet one another, give them a hug!
How is it possible that you can be so irritated with your brother and still pray for them and encourage them? Maturity and grace seem to be the theme that’s running through my head as I process this.
I’m sure you could think of a brother or sister that just seems to get under your skin. You spend too much time grumbling and complaining about how they irritate you. Hopefully, it’s just been to you.
Look now at verse 9 as Paul says, “We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection.”
How many times have I prayed for someone’s perfection? I’ll admit my desire would be to pray for a small amount of suffering, not a lot, just a little. But you find that through all that was going on in Corinth, Paul still prays for them to grow and become mature in Christ.
Today’s challenge:
Pray that God would use your brother or sister in a mighty way.
Pray that God would bless their family.
Pray that God would use them to reach people that are out of your sphere of influence.
Pray that God would help them to experience joy as they serve him.
If we would earnestly pray these things over those that seem to annoy us, we will find help in changing from irritation to appreciation. I never said it was easy.
As I pray this prayer for others and my heart is softened, I’m reminded that someone is probably praying this pray for me as well. I sure hope so. Honestly, we should be praying this prayer for all believers.
Click here to read 2 Corinthians 13
