I love the way this passage is worded in the New Living Translation. Paul was writing to the church in Corinth and saw himself as a father figure to that congregation. It seemed the more he poured himself into the lives of his spiritual children, the more they responded with bad behavior.
I'm sure most parents have felt this way at one time or another. If you have been blessed to have a child with a challenging disposition (i.e. one that is counter to your own), you may be tempted to throw up your hands in frustration and quit trying altogether.
Paul reveals his intent and motivation to the Corinthians, and there is value in examining ourselves in both of these areas:
- "I will gladly spend myself and all I have for you." I don't know about you, but there are days when I feel I've spent everything (physically, emotionally, and financially) on my kids, but I haven't always done it gladly! Especially in the midst of trying times, we must maintain our joy in serving the Lord. Raising children is not only a service to the Lord, but a tremendous privilege.
- "I don't want what you have - I want you." Teenagers often view parents' actions through a filter of control. We can follow Paul's example by communicating clearly (and often) our love for our children. Kids need to know they are valued. Teens in particular need to know their voice is heard. Make sure your children know they are wanted.
If you read 1 and 2 Corinthians, you'll discover Paul's spiritual offspring did some pretty awful things. But as Paul advised another congregation, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9 NIV)
Neither you nor our teen will remain the same as you are today. There's a payoff down the road.
"So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:18
