Today's Reading:
2 Corinthians 3,4,5,6
Scripture
"If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.” (2 Corinthians 5:13)
Observation
Here in Second Corinthians, we are given permission to go out of our minds for Jesus! I like that! But it comes with one stipulation — when you get before people, you have to shape up! That's the hard part!
In Acts 26, Festus grew frustrated with Paul the Apostle. As Paul testified of what Christ had done, Festus proclaimed, "Paul, you are out of your mind! I think you are going mad!" If Paul was thought to be crazy, then I guess I am in good company!
Being out of your mind for Christ is one thing...but if the truth be told, most of us are just...well, plain "out of our minds." We do dumb things, motivated by a host of conflicting agendas: personal desires, selfish wants, past hurts, or for future gain. We just do squirrelly things that cause people to think we are just plain out of our minds.
Crazy Christians. Fanatics. Religious extremists.
But here, the qualifying factor is that we get to think big for Christ's sake. It's not about being weird. It's about being sold-out for the One who redeemed us. This causes us to increase our faith and be willing to risk for God.
C.T. Studd, an old-time evangelist, once said, "The gamblers for gold are many, but the gamblers for God are so few. Where are the gamblers for God?"
I remember reading that in a book about his illustrious life. I wrote with my pen in the margin next to those words:"I will be a gambler for You, Oh God!"
Application
I want to be a gambler for God. I want to be someone "out of my mind" when it comes to Christ. Of course, when I am before men, I must be appropriate and ordered, succinct and clear. That is a mark of leadership and devotion. I will continue to think outside the box and figure out ways to reach the world with the Gospel through the Gospel, through training up exemplary leaders, and through exampling the heart and mind of Christ in all things. But when it comes to honoring Jesus, I think it would be so great if we made the football fans look like nuns at a funeral! He is worthy of our very best!
Prayer
Today, Lord, please teach me to honor You in all my ways. Everything I have already belongs to You. You even provide me with what I am to give away! I want to be obedient to steward what You give and trust You when You ask me to lay it all down.
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