Title: Five Conditions of a Good Partner
2 Corinthians (35) Five conditions of a good co-worker (2 Corinthians 8:16-24)
1. Bear the burden of the cross
The Apostle Paul always had a co-worker with whom he could relate. So, I was able to overcome loneliness and pain and perform God's work well. Dido was one of those co-workers. Titus headed to the church in Corinth, taking on the burden of conveying the apostle Paul's feelings toward the church in Corinth and taking on the challenge of material devotion. And 120% of the mission was accomplished. We must boldly undertake such a burdensome task and work together in body and mind (verses 16-17).
2. Show your partner's wishes
Look at verse 19 of the text. “Not only that, but I have been chosen by the churches to walk with us in the works of our grace, for the manifestation of the glory of the same Lord and our desires.” At that time, the co-workers of the apostle Paul were chosen by the church. What was the most important thing they did? It was to show the glory of the Lord and to express the wishes of Paul and his companions well. To be a true co-worker, you must have the attitude to express the other person's wishes well.
3. Don't Live Computationally
4. Beware of Good Thing
Even if people do good things with good intentions, someone will misunderstand them. There were many such misconceptions about the apostle Paul. So he lived with a sober heart even before God, but he also lived with a sober heart before men (verse 21). We did our best to avoid such unnecessary misunderstandings.
5. Show proof of love
< A partner who gives strength >
When you go to church, you meet three types of people. First, they are ‘people who give strength’. They want to be together forever to ignite their passion. But it's just as dangerous as having a child stay at home forever without ever going out. Because they are safe to live, but they cannot lead independent and productive lives. Even those who give strength need to leave for their mission at some point. Paul and Barnabas were great co-workers, but at some point they broke up and did a bigger ministry.
Second, there are ‘just good people’. They delight church leaders by filling seats for various programs. It also provides quite a bit of material. They are nice, nice people and make good friendships. But simply making it feel good doesn't add much to your enthusiasm. Therefore, the relationship with good people should become a deeper non-co-worker relationship.
Third, there are 'people who lose power'. People are greatly influenced by the environment and people around them, so stay close to those who stimulate you to grow and wisely stay away from those who make you gasp. The ‘lost sheep’ must be persistently sought, but the ‘lost sheep’ also needs to be left wisely for tomorrow’s maturity. Otherwise, you will pay a painful price for your soul to be depleted. The Lord is with empowering, productive people. Find a co-worker who gives you such strength and become such a co-worker yourself.