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Gladly Spend
"And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved." (2 Corinthians 12:15 NKJV)This is the same attitude Paul expressed about Christ in Philippians 2:1-8. It is an attitude of selflessness. Paul would GLADLY spend this strength, time, energy and all that he had for their souls because he love them, the same love that Christ demonstrated for us, you and me in His death on the cross. Paul was willing to be spent, worn out in His service for the benefit of others because he loved them and would gladly exhaust himself in service for them.
"…prove yourselves to be blameless and harmless children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of LIFE … You too, I urge you, rejoice and share my joy with you all." (Philippians 2:15-16,18 NASB)
In verse 17 he refers to being poured out as a drink offering in order to service their faith. His actions were in support of their faith, to make their worship and daily life in Christ more spiritual, more pure, and more pleasing to God. Paul is encouraging them to follow his example — "you too!"
Now let's get personal, consider our willingness to spend and be spent in service of the faith of others, take the time for a personal inventory of where we are in "gladly willing to be spent" in serving our
"This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do the things which I command you. No longer do I call you servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I heard from my Father, I have made known unto you." (John 15:12-15 ASV)
The commandant is to love one another AS Christ love us [His example]. He tells us in v.13 that we must have the same attitude, willing to lay down our lives for our friends. Spend and be spent for the sake of the gospel of Christ, spending our lives "holding forth word of life" to a lost and dying world. Our urgentefforts must be more focused on the lost and less on being entertained by the things of this world which is nothing but "grasping for the wind" (Eccl. 4:16).
What are we willing to spend?
"Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down, and the palsied knees." (Hebrews 12:12 ASV)
"And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be longsuffering toward all." (1 Thessalonians 5:14 ASV)
How happy are we to be spent reaching the lost? How much time, talent and energy?
