So I wanted to reflect more about the passage I mentioned in my last blog, not just the one verse but all of the last 9 verses together... Any and all responses to this passage would be much appreciated since I feel a lot of what I will learn this summer (and a lot of what I have already been learning) is directly related to what Paul has written. The first 18 verses seem to offer a good understanding of why this letter was written, Paul wants reminds the Corinthians that they should be listening to him in regards questions about Christ and Christianity and he spends a bit of this letter explaining why he is qualified to tell them these things... and they shouldn't believe everything about Christ from just anyone, specifically in their case other Israelites. Of course there is a lot more to these 18 verses, but it's the last 9 verses that have been on my mind for awhile.
In reading this I have broken it down into two segments, 19-23 deals with how we can reach people and what it means to make ourselves "slaves to everyone". The second portion 24-27 speaks how Athletes (or anyone) should address life as well as faith...
Is Paul asking us to act or behave in certain way as to get a desired result from someone? Or is telling us that we should meed people where they are at?
So you don't have to look it up to follow along, here is the passage in which I am talking about:
19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 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 (thought 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 men 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.
24 Do you know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefor I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
In the past months I have come to the understanding that we are called to meet people where they are at, because more often than not they do not come to us (while I wish all men are drawn to us and the love of Jesus in us, it is not always the case.) In discussing this passage further with a good friend, I was also presented with the idea that some may read into these verses as being "manipulative", in order to win someone to our way of thinking. Thinking about what Jim had told me, I realized I that I have been thinking a lot about that perspective as well, just not in my bible reading...
I've been reading a book by Dale Carnegie which I am sure many of you have heard of, "How to Win Friends and Influence People". A good friend of mine said he wished someone had told him to read it while he was in college and challenged me to do the same so I have taken him up on the idea. While I find a lot of the books content to be simple logic that not many people think about when dealing with people, and much of it can be backed by biblical examples of Godly men dealing with people... there is an "edge" to the book that seems manipulative to me like Jim had mentioned.
I think it is important that people should know how to "handle" or "influence" people, however it should not be because we wish to be successful or because we want a certain outcome. I don't want to learn how to "love" people in order to get what I want, but I do want to learn to love people no matter what I get in return (nothing or possibly even at the expense of being hurt). I only include this because I think "love" is something that is easy to "put on" yet at the same time, it is easy to realize when it has been "put on"... if that makes any sense at all. Jim also commented that we cannot actually "handle" anyone, but we can influence them... as people, all we can do is influence because in the end it is not our decision to make.
To me, I Corinthians 9:19 only makes sense to me when understood as being called to meet people where they are at. How else am I going to reach someone who at this point in their life would not be caught dead in the back pew of church, let a lone one in the middle or front. I also see it as one of the ways to influence people, when they know you are willing to be with them, help them, or just hang out with them where they feel comfortable. Who knows how long it may take them to come around, if at all. But would they ever get to that point of we decided to spend all of our time in the front row of church and never with them?
In doing our clinic at Paso Robles this last weekend and working a street soccer tournament yesterday, I can only say that the idea of meeting people where they are at is only being reinforced in my being here in California. Also, soccer is all over the world and proves to be one of the greatest tools in meeting people, especially when trying to meet them where they are at... foreigners or locals, rich or poor, everyone all over the world (except in the US) wants to play soccer. I feel like there is much more to learn about how soccer and sports can work to reach peoples lives... which leads to the next passage, 24-27.
Some people think that as Christian Athletes we aren't supposed to foul or if we knock someone over we should stop and help them up even if we are within the rules of the game. According to this verse Christians are called to "run (compete) in such a way as to win the prize". If you want to put it in more simple terms, we are called to play our best always... we are called to win. How much more are we drawn to successful athletes who walk in humility?We are drawn to their success and their humility. In comparison, what do we think when someone stops playing because their opponent has fallen over and may have been fouled? We think, "What is that guy doing???"
So is it accurate to say that I am called to be the best, not only sports but in all aspects of life and faith? Absolutely. But does that mean I have to compare myself to the next person in all aspects of my life? Absolutely not... There are areas of life that need not be compared but are between us and God only, yet we are called to be the best. In competition we are called to do our best, even if we end up losing.
Paul finishes with a very strong statement, "I beat my body and make it a slave to myself so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." I won't even try to begin by saying I know exactly what Paul is saying, but I do think that Paul touches on a the point of discipline... which relates to all areas of life. Yet this statement refers to that prize which is eternal, that is the prize we do not want to be disqualified from. It is extremely difficult to be glorifying always, actually impossible... if we learn discipline in life and in faith we can build a "platform" from which people will listen to us, it is those that are undisciplined (myself in many areas as well) that may end up disqualifying us from the eternal prize.
Wow, sorry for the weeks worth of mental processing all in one post... but the important part is that I was able to find a morning to include all of it. I will be meeting tonight for preparing for Mexico which we will be leaving the 1st of June so continue to pray for our Mexico trip and the different areas of LA that I am being plugged into for the summer. Blessings,
-Cyrus
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