Gladly Spent

R. Kent Hughes:

Selfless, other-directed sacrifice drove Paul’s labors. He wanted nothing but them — their souls — for Christ. This is the hallmark of all true ministry at every level. Paul’s selfless sacrifice is restated and intensified by his parallel great statement, “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.” Again, this is exactly what Christ did as described by Paul in 8:9 — “though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” The apostle’s spending of himself replicated the suffering of Christ who gave himself for his people.

True ministry selflessly seeks the spiritual welfare of others, gladly spending and being spent.

This is what is most needed if authentic ministry is to take place — joyously seeking the best for others and gladly spending self. This is Christlike, apostolic, true ministry. Paul willingly spent everything for the Corinthians — all his material resources and all his energies. The price he paid was impoverishment, poor health, premature old age, and, as we know, a martyr’s death.

To be a true minister to men is always to accept new happiness and new distress. . . . The man who gives himself to other men can never be a wholly sad man; but no more can he be a man of unclouded gladness. To him shall come with every deeper consecration a before untasted joy, but in the same cup shall be mixed a sorrow that it was beyond his power to feel before.

Love the church, serve her, spend and be spent, seek souls, and your heart will know an index of fears unknown to the uncommitted heart. But you will also know joys that are unknown to the self-serving.