“For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”
When I read this verse the concept of Pride comes to mind. When I was younger I had a complex with Paul. I read his letters and couldn't help but think how prideful he was in the way that he would always say be more like me for I am a man of God. A man who states be more like me doesn't always come across as the most humble of men. Through the eyes of the Holy Spirit it is an act of humbleness, in the flesh it comes across as prideful. When man does good on his own terms, and takes pride in the good he has done, it becomes pride. When we see men in our culture today telling everyone to be more like them, Charlie sheen for example, we think him prideful, insane, and simply crazy. We all have our own gifts and talents, who are they to tell me to be more like them. Why should Paul be any different? Paul takes pride in what he does for the Spirit, and only the Spirit. I believe Paul fully grasped this concept he wrote so many years ago. Because he knew that things he sowed were of the spirit then he didn't speak that he was a man of God through his own sowing, but because he was empowered by the Holy Spirit, he was made great. We can see that Paul is humble enough to say I am a great man, but give no entitlement to himself. From that point of view it makes us see Paul as an exceedingly sacrificial humble man instead of a man seeking recognition. I struggle with doing things for the Lord and remembering I had little to nothing to do with it. We are given these great tasks in the name of the Lord but we are so quick to forget that it was only through Him we were blessed with the task. It's easy to sow to the Spirit and desire to reap in the flesh.
No comments:
Post a Comment