2 Corinthians 12:14-18
14 Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for I do not seek yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved. 16 But be that as it may, I did not burden you. Nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you by cunning! 17 Did I take advantage of you by any of those whom I sent to you? 18 I urged Titus, and sent our brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?
14 Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for I do not seek yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved. 16 But be that as it may, I did not burden you. Nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you by cunning! 17 Did I take advantage of you by any of those whom I sent to you? 18 I urged Titus, and sent our brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?
Paul was coming back to Corinth, but made it clear that he wanted only to give to them as a parent meets their children’s needs. He wanted them, not what they possessed, so he gave freely and sacrificially of himself to shepherd them in and towards Christ. He did this with great joy! He even sent Titus and another brother who spoke the same gospel and likemindedly ministered to them as Paul would have if present with them. The question for us is the same - do we live in the same steps and spirit of those who have gone before us as our examples? Do we serve without expecting a return on our investment and refusing to take advantage of those we give ourselves to?
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