Grist for the Mill

 

Read 2 Corinthians 6   

It’s almost like six chapters into this letter, Paul felt the urge to answer the question: Sup? What’s up? What’s happening?

This is Paul’s take on the question: What’s up?

We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. The next sentence goes on for 6 verses. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way:

·        in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;

·       in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;

·       in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;

·       in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;

·       through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;

·       known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed;

·       sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

In the writing and perhaps the ministry worlds, this is called grist for the mill. Everything that happens to us is somehow incorporated into the fruit that we produce. Good, bad, happy, sad, mean, nice, boring, and exciting—it’s all grist for the mill.

Paul suffered for Christ, for the sake of the gospel, yet he rejoiced at the same time. He was on a mission from God, full of hardships and victories.

What kept Paul going?  This was the time of God’s favor. This was the day of salvation. This was the time for action.

For every hardship that Paul encountered, he pressed on towards the goal.

For every victory he celebrated, the celebration was short-lived, for this was the time for men and women to be saved. Celebration would come later. The harvest was before Paul.

This was the time for the separation of the godly from the ungodly. This was the time for the church—those called out of the world by God, set apart for his holy purpose, and sent back into the world with good news.

Without catching his breath, Paul dives into counsel of marriage.

Paul noted that believers and unbelievers should not be yoked together. The believer and the pagan should not be married. If they already were when this good news was received by one of the couple, Paul gives other instructions elsewhere. In the future, stick to the dating apps for believers.

Light and darkness don’t mix. Neither do good and evil. God doesn’t hang out with Satan at the end of the workday. Your spouse should come from the body of believers.

The message of this short chapter is the time is now. This is the time of the Lord’s favor. This is the time to be saved. This is the time to take the yoke of our Master.

Paul said the best argument that I can give is our ministry, our lives. When it’s bad, it’s really bad but we press on.

When it’s good, we pause only for the moment to catch our breath and some encouragement and then back to our race of faith.

Why such persistence and perseverance? You have taken the gospel to so many already. Why must you press on?

Now is the time.

As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says,

“In the time of my favor I heard you,

    and in the day of salvation I helped you.”

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

That was two thousand years ago. So, what about now?

Now is still the time. The Lord is not slow in coming as we frame slowness in our minds. He desires all to come to repentance and to know him as Lord.

This time we live in is still the time of the Lord’s favor. People may still repent. People may still cross over from death to life. This is still the day of salvation.

We have the same marching orders that Paul did. Take the good news to a lost world. We today, are perhaps better served by Paul’s counsel than the letter’s original readers.

Paul met difficulty, but pressed on.

Paul celebrated victories, but not for long. There was work to be done.

Paul was an overcomer, not because he was extra tough. He didn’t do a tour with the Roman Legions. He overcame because God set him upon this mission.

We have also been given missions and commissions. Do we press on when things are difficult, or do we become snowflakes?

Once upon a time, I didn’t use the word snowflake. I thought it was a bit harsh, but the more I saw people throw in the towel without really trying…

Let’s just say, the word grew on me.

We are to be overcomers, not because of our own strength but because God himself empowers us for his work.

The work has urgency because the time of salvation is now and we don’t know when the clock will run out on us. Those of us who have the Lord have assurance, but so many do not know him.

That’s where we come in.

Whatever comes at us—good, bad, ugly—is just grist for the mill, and the mill produces witness and testimony.

Whatever life has put you through becomes part of your testimony to other believers—who do need encouragement—and part of your witness to the unbelieving world.

You have the same story to tell that every Christian has had for two millennia, but you have your unique story of salvation, discipleship, and response to God’s love to share with others.

It’s the same mission.

It’s the same commission.

It’s the same story.

Your unique life experience will reach someone and prepare them for the Holy Spirit that will follow.

Your hardships have purpose. Your victories have purpose. Your times of solitude have purpose. Your trust in the Lord when it would have been so much easier to just go with the flow says that you can do what God has called you—called us all to do.

This is the time of the Lord’s Favor! This is the time of salvation!

Now, stand and be blessed once again by your commission.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Everything that happens to us is grist for the mill. Take your life experience and your commission from God and go make disciples.

This is the time of the Lord’s favor. This is the time of salvation.

Amen.