Are you purely devoted to Christ? If you can get mad at God, you are devoted to something other than God.

If you can be disappointed in God, then you are devoted to something other than God.

Treat the Lord with reverence. He deserves your unswerving devotion.

The Corinthians weren’t showing God reverence. They didn’t honor God’s word from Paul but were listening to false teachers and bearing with those teaching another gospel, making them slaves, those for whom Christ died to set free.

False teachers were taking advantage of them, and they put up with it. Paul wanted to distinguish himself from them by not asking for any money. He did have support, but it came from other churches.

Paul speaks of his sacrifice for the Body of Christ. He was whipped five times and beaten three times. He doesn’t even number his imprisonments. We don’t hear the story of all of these. He was shipwrecked three times. He was adrift in the sea a night and a day. He was often in danger, cold, hungry, and tired.

But there was something else besides all these external troubles. He says he daily felt anxiety over all the churches.

We see people like Moses and Paul carrying the burden of God’s people. But is it right? We’re told to not be anxious by Paul himself. He will write that in his letter to the Philippians maybe a handful of years later. Paul’s learning and growing, like every true Christian.

Jesus is our burden bearer. We cast our burdens onto Him. Our job is to do our job. God’s job is changing hearts and keeping and feeding and protecting the flock.

Make your one aim to please God.