"Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be brave and strong. Your every action must be done with love." (1 Corinthians 16:14)
OBSERVATION
In Paul's usual style, he was closing his letter to the Corinthians with an assortment of exhortations. In this verse he gives practical principles to strengthen the Corinthian's walk with the Lord.
- "Be alert"--in 15:34 he encouraged them to be "right-minded." Literally it means sober up righteously. We are to live our faith alert and ready for action. This means being aware of our surroundings, our enemy, and the pitfalls and traps that can easily trip us up.
- "Stand firm"--the posture of a follower of Jesus is to stand. Not to flee or cower but to trust God and hold to our convictions.
- "Be brave and strong"--fear has a way of working against us and causing us to give up ground. Over and over God reminds us we don't have to fear.
- "Do every action with love"--love is making the well-being of another person as important as our own. It is the "others first" mentality where our actions do not hinder, hurt, or harm another person. Only as we are secure in our faith can we reach out in love to others.
This is certainly a challenge to live up to. My faith is to be what sustains me. God gives me strength and power to be brave in the face of fear. Jesus is my ultimate example of what means to do everything in love. I don not have to live in a defensive posture but I can make a difference in the world by living strong in the Lord. It's easy to become overwhelmed by the world around me. Perhaps that is why Paul has to exhort me to do these things. They are from my natural self. But God has given me supernatural strength so that I am able to reach out to others with love. This only happens when I'm grounded in a good place...alert, firm, brave, and strong. I am to sober up righteously.
PRAYER
Lord, you've given me everything I need for a life of godliness. With you I have nothing to fear. Help my every action to be done with love.
