Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
2 Corinthians 11:28-29 NIV
In 2 Corinthians 11:22-27, Paul contrasted himself with those he called false apostles, men trying to take over leadership of the church at Corinth and bragging about their credentials. In contrast, Paul gave a list of credentials centered around the hardships he had endured in taking the gospel around the Mediterranean world. Imprisoned, beaten, flogged, shipwrecked, stoned, in constant danger, and deprived. His physical suffering was unimaginable to most of us.
But he also suffered inwardly. The welfare of the churches he had helped to found was always a concern for him. The emotional and spiritual pressure he felt was every bit as real as the physical suffering he went through.
This latter suffering that Paul endured is often overlooked. His physical suffering is much more obvious and overwhelming. But his concern for the churches was just as big a part of who and what he was. These churches were his children. And like a parent, he cared deeply about them.
I am not a missionary, traveling around the world, establishing churches. But I am a member of a local church. And I should be just as emotionally connected to that church as Paul was to the churches he had established and worked with. Each of us, as members of the church, should care deeply about the overall health of the church where we serve.
Don’t be a passive member who contributes little to the health of the church. Be fully invested in the life of the church, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Care about those you serve with. Rejoice when they rejoice. Hurt alongside them when they suffer. Encourage those who need encouragement. And grieve for the fallen, praying for them and seeking their restoration.
