Trusting God's Way

Galatians 4:12-15 I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong. 13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. 14 Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. 15 What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.  
 
WHEN Paul wrote, “I plead with you, brothers.” and “What has happened to all your joy?”  the apostle reveals a loving heart for people who have strayed from the church. Paul was not a transient preacher who came for a few days or even a few months and then left for the next stop. He was an apostle who obeyed the Lord’s call to make disciples. That takes time and requires relationship building. He ministered the gospel with personal love and kindness.
    One way he did this was to become like the people to whom he ministered. Paul would take time to understand their customs and circumstances. The best way to lead people into Jesus’ light is to build a trusting relationship with them. People will not trust a leader until they know he cares for them.
    Paul reminds them, too, it was God’s providence that brought Paul to the Galatians. Paul was very ill, and apparently his associates took him to Galatia for some special treatment. Or he had to stop there for recovery. As some Galatians cared for him, they developed a deep devotion to Paul. He says that they would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Perhaps the illness affected Paul’s eyes. Or this may be an illustration of the Galatians’ sacrificial love for Paul in his illness.
    God used the illness to open the door for Paul to minister the gospel. In Paul’s ministry, God used visions, shipwrecks, persecution, imprisonment and even this sickness to put Paul where he wanted Paul to expand the gospel.  
    The LORD God arranges circumstances to direct his missionaries, pastors, evangelists and each of us into the place he has prepared for us to do his work. Sometimes God will take his chosen leaders into severe persecution to advance his Kingdom. He did so with his Son. And Jesus warned his apostles they would face many trials and death for his name.  Today, remarkable testimonies come from God’s churches around the globe to tell the ways our Lord uses challenging, even life-threatening situations to open doors to the gospel.
          As you consider your church, be mindful the Sovereign Lord has arranged for it to be his church. Yours and the church’s task is to serve God in faith, so his gospel will be known in your community.