This is a somewhat short chapter with 2 distinct themes.  The first theme belongs to the first 5 verses and it continues from the last chapter in addressing eloquence of speech, and how Paul felt very strongly that we should hold to the main ideas more often than not when preaching...the fact that Christ was crucified.   Now, I am not suggesting that this is the only topic that should be covered on Sundays and in small group teaching sessions...and I don’t think that’s Paul point either.  I think Paul is communicating that we need to fight to keep the main thing the main thing.  Last reading we talked about divisions in the church, and denominations, and those arise largely on the ares of discussion that AREN’T the main thing.  It isn’t he resurrection that divides the Baptists and the Presbyterians or even the Protestants, Catholics, and Assyrians...these differ in the small things.  But we’ve allowed the small things to define us.  I think that’s Paul’s point - we are missing the point.  On this, I think Paul has a great point.  As I said yesterday, I have yet to come across a non-Christian believer who has told me that the reason they are NOT a Christian is because they have thoroughly investigated the claims of the resurrection and has decided that they aren’t true.  It is always something else...and that is exactly what Paul was wanting the church to avoid.

And then he gets into the topic of the spirit, which spills into tomorrow’s reading as well...but this is a heavy topic.  I will let tomorrow’s potentially get into the more ‘thorny’ spiritual stuff, but today I want to point out a simple takeaway idea from what Paul is saying, something I have heard said many times during my reading and studying.  That is this: “If you’ll do as God says, you’ll see as God sees”.  It is a simple idea that I think kind of gets at some of what Paul is communicating here - that God has placed a spirit inside of us, His spirit, at the point that we accept Christ, and that spirit guides us in our lives from that point on.  We can be in-tune with it, or we can miss it, but it is there.  These folks, in Paul’s mind, received that spirit, but they haven’t leaned into it and led their lives in a manner that positioned them to be led by it.  That’s what Paul is getting at with them.  That’s what he is getting at with us.

So that’s the question for me to day.  Am I praying like this: “God, please give me your wisdom and show me what to do”, at which point I am subtly and subconsciously thinking “...so I can decide if that sounds good to me and then I will do it if it does”; or am I praying “God, yes, I will do your will...no what do are you calling me to do?”.  That second prayer is WAY more vulnerable and WAY more in-keeping with Paul’s view here that we are spiritual beings to be led by God.  And I will tell you, it is both freeing and scary to pray that second prayer.  Sometimes, I will just pray this, “God, I want to want what you want for me life...I really do...please help me to get there”.  That’s an honest prayer, way more honest than the first one...and it is me telling God that I am messed up and I know it.  But I have seen God answer that prayer in my life...He has shown up to help my heart to change.  That’s my prayer today!