Today has not been conducive to accomplishing things in a very productive way. There have been many components to this day and not a lot of free time in between. Lord, I lay myself at Your feet. Use me as You will. Amen.

1 Corinthians 4:1-4 (<<click here to read the passage)

OK, I am not in any way trying to be braggadocious, but as a pastor, I am the spiritual leader of my church – or, in my case, churches. It is my responsibility to provide spiritual nourishment for the sheep in these folds. I am also responsible for steering them in the right direction on the spiritual plane. Obviously, if I am a true shepherd, faithfully following in the steps of the Great Shepherd of the sheep, the Lord Jesus Himself, then I must be taking all of my cues from Him. He is the Living Water (John 7:37-39) and the Bread of Life (John 6:35). He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). I am only a reflection…an ambassador of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

So, as the Apostle Paul speaks of himself and Apollos, as mere servants of Christ I have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. v1 And because I have been put in charge as a manager I must be faithful. v2

Paul’s next statement, plain and simple, is a sticky one. He says in the first part of verse 3, “As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority.” He quickly follows that up by saying, “I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point.”

To some degree, it might sound arrogant, but I also agree with what Paul in humility says in verse 4,

My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide. NLT

I am human. I make mistakes. I strive to follow the Lord with everything I am, but I am most certainly not infallible. I have never said I am perfect. That’s why “I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point.”

Sometimes it’s difficult to not second-guess myself. It is disheartening when others pile on judgment or an abundance of doubt or misgivings in regard to what I feel the Lord wants to make happen. I’m not saying it is not called for in that sometimes God uses those kinds of responses to better hone in on what He wants to happen. It’s just a challenge for me. I have to step back and acknowledge that, in the end, it’s not important how I am evaluated by fellow people of the flock. First and foremost, it is important how I am evaluated by God. He knows me. He knows the circumstances in which we find ourselves…and whether we all agree, all the time, God knows best.

Lord Jesus, may we constantly fixate on You – not each other, but You. You will never…ever…steer us wrong!

Oct 12th, 2023, Thurs, 8:20 pm