Spending and Being Spent

Spending and Being Spent

And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.

2 Corinthians 12:15

Paul was a big spender; not in the material sense, but in the spiritual sense. All his life was wrapped up in doing the will of God. That singleness of purpose led him to do mission work, which resulted in the conversion of the Corinthians and many others.   This led to the establishment of churches, which meant those churches needed guidance, which necessitated the writing of the epistles. Much of the remainder of Paul’s life was absorbed with ‘the care of all the churches.’ This grand endeavor of caring for all the churches demanded that the Apostle expend his time, efforts, talent and intellect.  In short, all of himself.  What is immensely impressive is that he made this great expenditure gladly and in spite of an increasingly deepening callousness on the part of the Corinthians towards him. This is a spiritual grace of high degree. It is a spiritual grace which we who hope to be of use to the Lord should desire to see cultivated within us. In this respect, Paul was overtly following in the footsteps of the Savior. No one else in all of history has lived so utterly selflessly than Christ Himself. His incarnation, perfect life, sacrificial death, entombment, resurrection, ascension, and intercession, were all for the sake of others. We, by natural instinct, reserve and preserve ourselves. The spirit of Christ is that of complete self- sacrifice, even in the face of ostensible rebuff.

Our life is not for hoarding, but for spending. We are here to spare no personal expense of time, of energy, of talent, of effort to advance the kingdom of Christ by ministering for the benefit of all around us ‘especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ That expenditure will mean that we will over time ‘be spent,’ but it will be no waste; rather, it will be an eternal investment. Even in the face of apparent lack of appreciation, let us ask that the Holy Spirit will enlarge and enhance in us the attitude which was demonstrated first by Christ and later by Paul to ‘spend and be spent’ in the service of the King.

Lord Jesus, our Sweet Savior,

Thank You for Your selfless sacrifice.

Teach us to give as You have given,

to love as selflessly as You love.

Where the Bush is Burning

Tomm Tice