DON’T FORGET

[John]

DON’T FORGET


As I have mentioned in the past, I use the Inspirational Study Bible, for my daily devotionals. As an introduction to the book of 2and Corinthians, Max Lucado, the general editor, presents the following.



Once there was a school in a village. Atop the school was a bell which was rung every morning to call the children to class. The boys and girls arrived reluctantly and precisely at the hour. Never a minute early. The bell would ring again in the afternoon, liberating the children to their play. The children bolted out the door at the ringing of the bell. Never lingering a minute late. This is how it was with each child.
Except one.
There was a girl who came early. She helped the teacher prepare the room for the day. The same girl would stay late--- cleaning the board and dusting erasers. During class she was attentive. She sat close to the teacher, absorbing the lessons.
One day when the other children were unruly and inattentive, the teacher used the girl as an example. “Why can’t you be like her? She listens. She works. She comes early. She stays late.”
“It isn’t fair to ask us to be like her”, a boy blurted out from the rear of the room.
“Why?“asked the teacher.
The boy was uncomfortable, wishing he hadn’t spoken. “She has an advantage,” he shrugged.
“And what’s that?”
“She’s an orphan,” he almost whispered as he sat down.
The boy was right. The girl had an advantage. An advantage of knowing that school, as tedious as it was, was better than the orphanage. Since she knew that, she appreciated what others took for granted.
We too are orphans.
Alone.
No name. No future. No hope.
Were it not for our adoption as his children, we would have no place to belong. We sometimes forget that.
The Corinthians forgot.
They had grow puffy in their achievements and diverse in their fellowship. They argued over the correct leader, the greater gifts. They rebelled against Paul’s leadership. They were indifferent to sin and insensitive in worship.
Paul defends his ministry and admonishes the Christians to remember to whom they belong. “Examine yourselves,” Paul says (13:5). His words are clear. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (5:17).
Good reminder.
Not just for them but for us as well. For if we forget, we too will be like the students who did just enough to pass the grade and never enough to show their thanks.