March 7th: Leviticus 14, Psalm 115-116, 2 Corinthians 8-9

It's hard not to get caught up in this world.

I suppose the obviousness and cliche-ness of that statement overpowers the reality of it. Reading through 2 Corinthians, you don't get a sense that Paul is bragging about his accomplishments as much as he is bragging about what God is doing. And it just so happens that because Paul is doing God's will, he's at the center of what's going on.

This is hard. I really want to be, as Ron Burgundy says, "kind of a big deal." It's a big motivator. Sure, I do "ministry." In a way, what I do is service for others. But there is a selfish part of me that wants to be know for doing cool ministry. Big ministry. It's for God, but it's still selfish.

Paul notes that Jesus wants us to give cheerfully. I don't think this is just about money. It's about our time. It's about our love. It's about our our futures. My dreams. My ambitions.

Paul's become a servant, a slave. He's turned over his future. I need to be better at doing that.