Exhortations and Encouragement (1 Corinthians 4:19-21)

Today's scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:19-21

When I meditate on these three verses, I see words of both exhortation and encouragement.

The first exhortation, although I don’t know if Paul meant it that way, is that we’re to plan within God’s will. Paul writes, “I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills …” Paul made plans to visit the Christians at Corinth. He may have already packed his bags. But he knew that he would only arrive if God willed it.

We need to do the same. We can certainly make plans. The Bible tells us to plan (see Luke 14:28), but we always need to ask for God’s will (see James 4:13-15).

The second exhortation is that we need to treat each other with “love and a spirit of gentleness.” You’ve probably heard the old adage, “You can attract more flies with honey than with vinegar.” Whenever we interact with others—believers or not—we should do so lovingly, compassionately, and gently. Even if we’re reproving someone for sin, we still need to show Christ-like love.

Finally, I’m greatly encouraged to remember how powerful our God is. He is greater than anything this world can throw our way. He loves us unconditionally, and He is with us always.

These days, it’s easy to think that the enemy is winning. Corruption. Perversion. Wars (and rumors of wars). Natural disasters. Disregard for the pain of others. Pain. Suffering.

It’s a mess. But we can be assured that our powerful God—Father, Son, and Spirit—is in control. And we can be assured that “greater is He who is in [us] than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).