Day 241: Psalms 134-137; 1 Corinthians 9

In pondering 'Christian Liberty' and reflecting on Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 9:19: "Although I am free from all and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people" (CSB), Martin Luther wrote this famous line: "A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all." In context, Luther's focus is on 'the unlearned' who had been denied access to the Word of God and were bullied into believing everything the scholars of the day proclaimed it said. "I want everyone to understand their freedom," is what he says, in essence. Paul does, likewise. My freedom gives me great liberty to choose a path of service and witness. No one is forcing me to be a servant of Christ, a servant of the Gospel, a servant to all. My servanthood has a purpose...doing all I can in every way I can to reach lost and left-out people for Jesus. True, not everyone will respond (1 Corinthians 9:22), but that does not stop me from doing my very best. And, in the end, I share the blessing (1 Corinthians 9:23). Sometimes the blessing is not delayed...yesterday I prayed with someone to be born from above...instant and indescribable blessing. Just saying!