“A certain singlemindedness”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Friday, March 8, 2024
1 Corinthians 9:16-27 (Forward, p. 39) CEV p. 1196
We might all take a lesson, borrow a page, from the apostle Paul. He had a certain singlemindedness that is all too lacking in general in our world today but certainly in the church. Yes, we do see a similar kind of singlemindedness in some industry, business, and governmental leaders, and therein is often the secret of their success. But then, what about the church, and in particular, what about the singlemindedness that marked or characterized the ministry of Saint Paul?
His is a singlemindedness about preaching the Gospel, sharing the Good News of Christ with others. There are several things that he says about this:
a) Firstly, he considers it a privilege to do this. It isn’t something that he is compelled to do in order to earn a wage; it is something that he clearly wants to do. He sees it as a divinely ordained opportunity to be of service to God and to others.
b) But then, he also sees it as an obligation, a duty, given what Christ has already done for him. In a sense, he had not chosen this work; it had chosen him. And, of course, reflecting back on his life-changing experience on the Damascus Road, this was undoubtedly true: he had been ‘dragged’ into this work ‘kicking and screaming’ as it were. He, the chief of all sinners’ (as he once labelled himself) became the recipient both of God’s grace, and of God’s call. Far from feeling himself worthy of this calling, he nevertheless accepted this act of grace and gave himself to it full-heartedly.
c) During this discussion, he does mention a reward, but it is not the tangible or material reward that most of our world focuses on. No, it is the sheer reward, the thrill, of seeing someone else come to faith in the Lord Jesus.
d) But what does this ‘preaching the Gospel’ mean in practical, day to day terms? It has nothing of the patronizing, aloof, higher than thou attitude that sometimes marks such helping professions as medicine, education, ministry, and counselling. (I can speak of this personally for at one time I saw myself as a ‘knight in shining armour’ coming to rescue the poor and the helpless. Interestingly, that was before I came to recognize my own brokenness and frailty and my own need for help and redemption!) No, the apostle Paul is content to put himself into the situation of whomever he was speaking to, to sit aside or alongside them and share their existence. Indeed, he was more than simply content to do this but intentionally did so. There is no better way to reach someone than to ‘get on their own wavelength’ by accommodating oneself to them and sharing their situation.
e) And in all this he has committed himself to doing his best, to being single-minded in this ministry. Here ventures forth with a couple images from the Corinthian Games, that of a runner and that of a boxer. Each of them, if they are to be effective, if they are to win, must give themselves full-heartedly to the task. Two things here: firstly, they must enter into the month’s long training with a firm resolve, which means foregoing many of the other things of life, as lovely and as good as they may be. And secondly, when on the track or in the ring, they must give everything to that contest. Otherwise, with a lapse in either endeavour, they might find themselves disqualified. Now, for Paul, this isn’t a matter of losing his salvation, but of failing to please Christ by failing in his God-given task of sharing the Good News, the Gospel, with others. No wonder Paul is so single-minded in this.
So, what about us? Not many of us are called to be teachers or preachers of the Good News, but all of us are called to be livers of it, to show forth it by the way that we conduct ourselves, by the way we live our lives. So then the questions must surely be asked: ‘Just what do people see in us when they see our lives? Do they see something winsome and attractive, some glimpse of God’s love and kindness and grace, that would make them want to know more, see more, receive more, and perhaps find Christ? These are searching, difficult questions, but ones that we really do need to
ask. As one of my old bishops once said, “you may be the only Jesus Christ that some people will ever meet”—and so, on that basis, they will judge Jesus by what they see in us. A pretty daunting thought, to say the least!
Forward notes: “Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable garland, but we an imperishable one” (verse 25).
“Major League Baseball’s spring training is in full swing in warmer parts of the United States. The teams play exhibition games to evaluate the abilities of each player and the various combinations on the field. Ultimately, the teams’ preparation for a winning season begins at some point in spring training. These patterns of preparation for victory begin once again every year.
“Practicing the Christian faith calls us into patterns of prayer and spiritual practices, but our patterns don’t culminate with an annual goal of winning a prize. Instead, these practices are built upon, year after year, with the hope of a deeper connection to God’s presence. Saint Paul reminds us that self-control is important to attain the goals we want for ourselves in life, but he also invites us to consider setting goals for ourselves that are timeless. When we follow Saint Paul’s instructions, the fullness of our life’s journey with Christ begins to be revealed to us in ways that we never imagined.”
Moving Forward: “What other lessons can be drawn from baseball (or another favourite sport)? Share them with us at #ForwardDaybyDay.”