Text: 1 Corinthians 9:1-27.
“…the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. …I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings,” verses 14, 22b-23(ESV). Did you forget to tithe this past Sunday? Or the Sunday before that, etc? Everyone has at one time or another. Why is it so hard to tithe? It is because we see and hear media messages everyday pounding material things into our eyes and ears.
These messages tell us that we must have the best car, the newest phone, the newest computer, the best schools, etc. The list of material things that fill our mind is endless. If we allow those messages to influence our thinking, then we find on a Sunday morning there is nothing left to give for the Kingdom of Christ. That is an absolute reversal of our priorities. We should be joyful givers of the first ten percent of what we earn, not the last! Jesus and His glorious Kingdom must be the first thing we think of when we plan our budget, not the last. Ooooh, what’s that, did I hear you say that you don’t have a planned budget? This whole chapter is about having discipline in our lives, so that we can qualify to serve Jesus Christ.
Meditate on verse 14. What is God teaching you in this verse?
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray for the missionaries to be provided for. Amen.