All things to all people
by Dianne Eckermann
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I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:22b,23a).
Recently I was reading a job description for a school principal. It ran for several pages. Just one dot point proved the impossibility of the job: ‘liaise with all staff (teaching and non-teaching), parents, students and the wider community including the church’. Imagine how many different points of view there are in that particular group and how hard it would be to meet all of their needs. Just one minor incident might upset a child, annoy a teacher, anger a parent, infuriate social media and lead to questions about how it was dealt with by the local congregation.
When St Paul wrote to the people of Corinth, he was keenly aware of how many different groups of people with competing beliefs existed in the busy port of Corinth. This included people from different cultures, people who held different religious views, people who were free and people who were slaves, people who were transient and those who were permanent inhabitants of the city. So when Paul talks about becoming all things to all people, he is not boasting about his abilities but about the necessity to be able to communicate with widely differing groups with one key aim: to share the gospel so that some may be saved.
Paul knew his audience. He knew that Corinth was a difficult place to preach to people about the unity of all under God. Whether they were Jew or Gentile, under the law or outside the law, strong or weak, knew the gospel or were unaware, Paul’s desire to share the good news of Jesus led him to do his best to understand the city and meet people where they were. He was not always successful in this, but he never failed in preaching the gospel to all people under all circumstances.
Our world today feels increasingly divided. We have the technology to share the wonderful message of salvation through Jesus. But too often, we use that very technology to scornfully dismiss the views of others and create division. It might not be possible to be all things to all people, but we can treat all people as if they mattered as much to us as they do to God.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your love and for showing us how much we matter to you. Help us share your love with others so they too may know how much you care for all people. Amen.
Dianne has worked in varying roles in Lutheran schools and is currently Director of Leadership at Lutheran Education Australia. She lives in the Adelaide Hills with her husband Rob, two dogs, and several kangaroos who visit regularly. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, the company of her children and grandchildren and walking along the River Torrens Linear Park Trail.
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