Morning Brew: Sunday, Nov 8

What ‘rights’ are you willing to give up to win others to Jesus? We fight for our rights. We enshrine them in our Constitution. We protest when our rights are infringed upon. We deserve our rights. We demand our rights. We protect our rights.

The Apostle Paul, on the other hand, saw things very differently:

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 1 Corinthians 9:19

To Paul, rights and freedoms aren’t unimportant, they’re just secondary to the advancement of the gospel. What did this look like to Paul? He continues:

20 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. 21 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. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 1 Corinthians 9:20-23

So here’s the question for you today: what are you willing to sacrifice to win others to Jesus?

• It could be something as simple as a hobby, the way you spend your time, or breaking the selfishness that has controlled your life for far too long.
• It could be changing jobs where the pay is less but your opportunity to make a difference will increase exponentially.
• It could be sacrificing control and allowing God to start calling the shots, giving up the mythical idea of an easy, leisure-filled life and wading into the messiness of life all around you.
• It could be giving up your privacy and allowing others into your life.
• It could be some (or all) of those hard earned resources that aren’t to be used to make your life more comfortable but to advance the gospel.

Paul was willing to give up almost anything to win others to Jesus. How about you (dear Christian)? What is God calling you to give up?

Prayer: God, give the discernment to hear your voice and the courage to sacrifice what I need to so that others may hear of your name.