1 Corinthians 9:19-23

¹⁹For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

Here’s how Eugene Peterson puts it in “The Message”:  Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever.  I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life.  I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!

What Does This Mean?

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells us the lengths to which he has gone in order to win people to Christ.  And it’s clear that he didn’t just hang out with other believers in order to win people to Christ.  He intentionally, purposefully hung out with people who were NOT believers – who needed to know Jesus.   He went to where they were, and spoke to them in a way that made sense to them.

That sounds to me like what it means to be a light in a dark world.  If we have the light of Christ, we need to be taking it to people who are in darkness.  In Matthew chapter 5 Jesus says, “You are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Here’s The Question

Where is our light shining?  Are we carrying the light to people who don’t know Jesus? Or are we playing it safe and sticking to places where there’s already light?

Paul said, “Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”

Where will you take the light this week? The grocery store? Bank?  Senior Center?  School?  Work?….

When it comes to sharing the light of Christ I want to be in on it!  What about you?