Shooting the messenger
Galatians 4:12-20
12 Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws.
You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you. 13 Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News. 14 But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible. 16 Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?
17 Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them. 18 If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you.
19 Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. 20 I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you.
It is hard to know exactly what has happened between the Apostle Paul and the church in Galatia. There are no direct explanations within this letter or outside it. The relationship is strained and suffering. From Paul’s perspective this is because he needed to directly challenge the church as they were losing sight of God’s good news, the gospel.
Do I want my leaders to challenge me? Do I want them to make me uncomfortable?
Maybe a better question to ask myself is: “Do I want to stay close to God’s saving truth? Do I want to hold onto His Good News?”
If I answer yes, then I need to accept that sometimes my leaders are going to challenge me and make me uncomfortable wehn I am straying from his love, truth and gospel.
“Lord, I accept your correction and desire leaders who will deliver your truth to my heart, even if it is confronting and uncomfortable. Amen”.
Written by Andrew Mellor