I Want You

2 Corinthians 12:14-15 - I don't want what you have; I want you… I will gladly spend myself and all I have for your spiritual good, even though it seems that the more I love you, the less you love me.

This passage is rich with meaning. Paul is saying here that he doesn’t want what the Corinthians have, he just wants them and that he is willing to spend whatever he has including himself to get it. Despite his output however it seems that the Corinthians aren’t giving themselves to him. The point to me however is that Paul is willing not only to give himself, but also what he has for people, even when they don’t give back. I am not sure what is harder. I think for me it is harder to give what I have than to give myself. That all depends on what we mean by giving ourselves. I find myself to be far more greedy with my possession than with my personal time, but am I really. How often do I not show interest in others because I value my time more than theirs? How often do I pretend to listen and just say ah-ha, as people talk. Maybe I actually suck at both giving myself and my possessions, I have just trained myself to think that because I am a pastor I give all of my time to the work of the Lord. I need to love people more. (Have you heard me say that on my log before) Paul did not fear rejection he just loved people with all that he had. I need to do the same.

*

Lord, help me to do that.