2 Corinthians 10.1–12: Seeing beneath the surface (Day 70)

Pray

Lord, prepare me to receive your word. Clear my mind and warm my heart. Assure me of your loving purposes for me, and speak into my life today.

Read

Exodus 22 John 1 Job 40 2 Corinthians 10

Daily Reflection: 2 Corinthians 10

In chapter 10, the tone changes. From writing a beautiful hymn to generosity, Paul becomes more combative. He is facing opposition from people who don't think he is a very impressive figure (verse 10) and are questioning his authority – and thereby undermining the message he preached.

In whatever sphere – politics, business, the Church, the family – there's a great danger in allowing ourselves to be swayed too much by charismatic, powerful personalities. We all know people who seem able to convince people they should be in charge, because they are confident and appear capable of getting things done. Rather than listening carefully to what they say and judging them by their records, we trust their own valuation of themselves. Paul is quite scathing: 'How stupid they are! They make up their own standards to measure themselves by, and they judge themselves by their own standards!' (verse 12).

Instead, he says, 'it is people of whom the Lord thinks well who are really approved, not people who think well of themselves' (verse 18).

So the Church is called to go against the grain of the world. We shouldn't assume that people who come across as natural leaders are really the ones with the solutions to our problems. Answers might come from elsewhere – from those who are overlooked because they don't fit our stereotypes or because their voices aren't as loud. Part of discipleship is learning to listen to people on the margins.

Pray

God, forgive me if I've gone along with the crowd, and not listened to those who seemed too unimportant to have something to say. Help me to see beneath the surface, and look at others with your eyes.