Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Corinthians 10:3 (New Living Translation)

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do.

Paul writes to the Christians at Corinth long ago. In this short sentence, Paul states two simple and significant facts:

(1) We (followers of Jesus Christ) are human. This is great. We are created by God in the image of God. How good is that? It is very good. Then again, we have all the faults and weaknesses of the human flesh. Rats. I feel jealousy, pain, hatred… Must I continue the list of bad things that come with being human? I will stop for now.

(2) We (followers of Jesus Christ) are different. We act differently. In Paul’s example, we wage a war against sin and the powers of sin in a manner that is different from how other folks wage war. We seek God. We pray. We encourage one another. We keep one another close. Other followers keep me from wandering off into the ways of other humans.

Thank you God. Thank you for creating me in your image. Thank you for giving me everything as a human to enjoy what humans enjoy. Thank you for providing a way for me to live as a follower of Jesus Christ would live instead of a sinful life. Help me to always encourage fellow followers and be encouraged (and slapped a bit now and then) by fellow followers.