1 Corinthians 3:10-23

Some Core Responsibilities

One of my favorite characters in the Bible is the Apostle Paul, one who actually fought with passion against Christianity, and for Christianity. So many of us, like Paul, lived life on the other side of the fence before coming to know Christ. However, how many of us can relate to his passion for the Gospel, his commitment to fight the good fight, his endurance in running the race, even in the face of adversity?

Today's reading, taken from chapter 3 of his first letter to Corinthians, addresses some of our core responsibilities in the service of our Heavenly Father, they can be reflected on from three perspectives:

• Committing to sustainable work: Are we involved in the things that matter? Is Christ at the center of all we do? If we were to face God today, reporting on our work, will we do so with anguish or with serenity? God already offers us the foundation, Jesus Christ the Rock. The choice of the building material is ours indeed. And we should choose in full cognizance of the fact that there will come a time when the true value of our work will be revealed.
• Sanctification: I consider this to be a continual process of setting oneself aside for God, which involves repentance, and full acceptance of the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross. It also reminds me of the image of Christ clearing the Temple of traders and moneychangers. We are the temple of God. May God help us consecrate ourselves to him.
• God always prevails: The ways of God are beyond our thoughts and our wisdom is futile in his sight. Many examples of our times could illustrate how God uses the feeble and insignificant to confuse the strong. Why then resist him and continuously rebel against him? All belongs to us, we belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. (1Corinthians 3:23)

During this Lenten season, we pray that God will lead us to reconnect with him in the three perspectives above, and that Christ, the subject of our faith, will fill our lives with his peace.