1 Corinthians chapters 2-6; these are Paul’s “come to Jesus” meetings with the community of Christians in Corinth. If you aren’t familiar with the term “come to Jesus” outside of a biblical context, let me share what Google offers as an explanation.

Any meeting in which a frank, often unpleasant, conversation is held so as to bring to light and/or resolve some issue at hand. “Boys, we're going to have a come-to-Jesus meeting about the drugs I found in the house, and if no one tells me the truth, then you're both going to get a whooping.”

If you remove the drug reference and the impending fear of a “whooping,” you are left with a clear explanation of the kind of challenge Paul was going to put in front of the people of Corinth. I have to admit that I have had a few of these conversations in my life, and I may have been on the receiving end in most of those instances. My conversations, however, were not recorded in the pages of the most popular selling book of all time. Sorry Corinthians, but hey, thanks for the life lessons.

As we read these chapters, the community of believers in Corinth were struggling with their pride. This letter is as applicable today for my life as it was at the time it was written to the community of Corinth. Below are a just few of the challenges that I was left with after reading this week.

• Be humble with my words and speak in a way that gives the credit to God and not me.
• God will use many people to plant seeds of understanding in my life, but only God can make them grow, not man.
• It doesn’t matter what others think of me; it doesn’t matter what I think of others. What matters is God’s view.
• The right kind of dedication to Christ and humility could make me appear as a fool to the world.
• Spiritual pride can grow and ruin me.
• The accountability for sin in my life as a Christ follower is different than that of those who don’t know Him.
• Always be aware that I am a representative of Christ. How I live and interact with others is seen by those who don’t know Him.

We all may have a time or two when we need a “come to Jesus” meeting, a time when someone calls us out for our actions or challenges, our wrong thinking. We can only hope this challenge comes from someone who cares for us and loves us in the way that Paul loved the Corinthians.  

“I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children.” – Paul (1 Corinthians 4:14)

How will you apply Paul’s challenge to live humbly, to live in a way that points all who see you to God?