Reflecting the Image

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 12:14

Here I am, ready to come to you this third time, and I will not be a burden because I do not want what is yours but you, for children ought not to save up for their parents but parents for their children. (NRSVUE)

Observation:

Paul is writing to the church in Corinth, and if we read carefully, we hear the voice of a spiritual father. He has become like a father to so many of the believers in Corinth, and even though their relationship has sometimes been difficult, he continues to understand his responsibility toward them as a parent.

Paul is ready to come for a third visit. He has already developed a relationship with these people, and he is not coming for them to care for him. He wants to make that clear. He isn’t coming for their resources — he is coming for them! It’s almost hidden in the sentence, but it may be the most important part for us to see.

“I do not want what is yours but you.”

He comes as a parent, and in doing so, he wants to care for them. All that he has learned through his spiritual journey, he wants to pour into them. He is willing to pour himself out for them spiritually, while at the same time refusing to become a financial burden to them.

Application:

I have a lot of family members and friends who are reaching retirement age. There are some pretty consistent conversations around retirement savings, Social Security (if you live in America), health insurance supplements, and long-term care insurance. We talk about whether our homes require us to go up and down stairs, and whether we already have grab bars installed in the bathroom — just in case! The reality is that most of us are trying to make sure that we will not be a burden to our children.

There is wisdom in that kind of planning. But the sad truth is that we can become so hung up on the financial questions that we fail to see the relationships. Paul didn’t want financial support — he just wanted them!

And isn’t that an important consideration for us today?

What is most important — the finances, or the relationships?

Paul’s goal was that his Corinthian “children” would know Christ. For that to happen, he was willing to pay the price — whatever that might be. He wasn’t simply concerned about what he would leave to them. He was concerned about what he was pouring into them.

As we consider how we are caring for the next generation, let’s remember what’s really important. Leading the next generation to Christ and helping them have a firm foundation is worth more than all the money in the world. Caring for children is the responsibility of the adults — not the other way around. Whatever is left in our retirement accounts won’t be going to heaven with us, so what will we do with what we have while we are still alive?

And maybe what we have to give is much more than money.

We have our time. Our wisdom. Our stories. Our prayers. Our faith. Our presence. We have what God has taught us over a lifetime of following Him.

Paul didn’t want what belonged to his children.

He wanted his children.

And he was willing to give himself for them.

Maybe that’s what it means to care for our children.

Prayer:

Lord, the cares of this world can sometimes feel overwhelming. Please help them not to become distractions from what is really important. Help me not to be a burden to my children or to the church, but may I be a loving, caring, and generous follower of Christ. Help me to pour into the next generation what You have so graciously poured into me. Amen.