Short Orders

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.           I Corinthians 16:13-14

 

A military leader commands his troops with very short, yet clear phrases: Attention! About face! Fall in! At ease!

 

By the time Paul wrote this letter he was on his third missionary journey and was responsible for the churches across the whole of Asia. He commanded the soldiers of the cross into fierce battle against persecution and demonic attack. In these two verses we see the divine authority Paul wielded expressed in succinct commands for every believer who fights the good fight of faith.

He starts with a warning – Be watchful (ESV). Of what should we watch for? The answer is multi-faceted. We watch for danger (Is. 62:6-7), both physical and spiritual (Matt. 26:41). We watch to protect that which we care about (Neh. 4:15-20). We watch for our deliverance (Ex. 12:42), and we watch for the second coming of Christ (Matt. 25:1-13).

 

Next Paul gives the believers an encouragement to “Stand firm in the faith.” A Christian who stands firm doesn’t waver in their beliefs (Jas. 1:5-8). They know their foundation is firm, so they can face the storm with confidence (Matt. 7:24-25). A tree that has deep roots has the benefit of being able to bend in the wind without breaking. Standing firm doesn’t mean being stiff and inflexible. It is a matter of what we’re holding onto, both when things are calm and chaotic.

 

Next Paul exhorts the believers to “Act like men (ESV).” This echoes his sentiments to “put away childish things” (I Cor. 13:11). It is a call to maturity and responsibility. It ties closely to his next command to “Be strong.” Strength comes with training. One is not physically strong unless they either work hard or train for a sport (I Cor. 9:24-27).  Strength implies effort. Recently I heard at a retreat that “Effort is not the opposite of grace. Works are.” Effort is the strength with which we hold on to God as He carries us through life.

 

Paul closes with a word about motivation. He challenges us to look into our hearts and see what lies at the root of our actions. What stimulates our actions? Many things may influence them, such as self-preservation, self-interest, professional or personal gain. As a follower of Christ, however, our ultimate motivation for everything we do should be love. It was for love that God created us, chose us, saved us and called us. It should be for love that we work, relate and fulfill His will in our lives.