Verse: 2 Corinthians 7:2-4
2 Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. 4 I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.
Devotion
Before the GPS and the iPhone, when you weren’t sure where you were going while driving, you would sometimes stop and ask for directions. For those of you old enough to remember that archaic practice, did anyone ever give you bad directions? It was so frustrating. You were at the mercy of this person, and more than once in my life that person led me astray.
Paul is battling for the hearts of the Corinthians in this letter. There are others who are giving them bad directions and leading them astray. And so he pleads, “make room for us in your hearts.” They are being influenced by people who aren’t teaching the Gospel correctly, and moreover and trying to turn them against Paul and the apostles.
As we look to apply this to our lives, I wonder if you or I are being influenced by anyone or anything that doesn’t align with the Gospel message? It is one thing to read other perspectives and listen to other people—that is good! But where’s the line we cross from listening to learn and love other people, and being influenced by things that aren’t true?
It’s any age old caution that we can consider this morning. Jesus and the Word of God should hold a singular place of authority in our lives. No other worldview, or teaching, or belief should come before them. And the hard part is we live in this world every day! We are constantly hearing messages that flow contrary to the Word of God. So we have to ask God to make us wise. We need to wisdom to see through the lies, to discern where there is truth, and to test all things according to the Word of God.
As you read this, is there anything that comes to mind that the Holy Spirit might be highlighting as something you need to re-evaluate it’s influence in your life?
Author: Christian Dunn
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