A Slave to Everyone .

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 NIV

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

You know at first read, it may seem that Paul is suggesting we put on a fake persona in order to exert undue influence over others. It’s almost as if he is saying pretend to be like whomever you are with so you can win them over more readily.

In a way, that is what he is saying – although there’s no pretending about it. What Paul is saying is that we are to walk in the shoes of others in order to understand them. Once we understand them, we can better express the Good News to them, in ways they will most readily grasp the message.

We aren’t to be anything or anyone other than ourselves. But we are to be ourselves ‘one better’! In other words, we become the weak, the Jew, all things to all people as Christ himself did. Because we are all created in the image of God we all are, at our core, the same. We are broken and flawed, floundering around on our own until we meet Jesus! Once that happens, our lives are never the same!

That’s the message Paul entreats us to share. We are all one, we are each precious and valued. Jesus died for you! He would have died just for you – only for you. And you know what? He did! That news is just too good to keep to ourselves. It’s too amazing not to share with everyone!

I hope today you will be as a slave to everyone you meet so that you may share with them the Good News of the gospel.

Mary  ¶ 9:03 AM