Whose opinion really matters?

I Corinthians 4:1–5
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Paul urges the Corinthians not to think of Peter, Apollos, and himself as leaders, but as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. He presents three characteristics of a true minister. Today we will only look at the first one.

1.     He is to be a faithful steward (vv. 1-5). 

A steward is one who takes care of another person’s affairs but owns nothing himself. In today’s world he might be called a manager. It is not my money (He is letting me handle it for a while), my church (He is just giving me a place to serve Him), or my children (They are on loan to us for a few years so that we can train them). A true minister is to be one who shares God’s wealth with the family of God. He may not please the members of his household. His responsibility is to be faithful to his master. He is to do what his master tells him to do. Paul brings to our attention three judgments in the life of a steward.

a.    What do you think of me? (v. 3a). Paul says that it does not matter what the Corinthians may think of him. His Master’s judgement is what counts.

b.  What do I think of me? (vv. 3b-4a). It is not of supreme importance what a person thinks of himself. It is very difficult for us to judge ourselves. In fact, there is a fine line between a clear conscience and a self-righteous attitude. 

c.     What does God think of me? (v. 4b). The final proper judge is the Lord. When He comes, He will judge the acts and motives of all Christians. Then each person shall have the praise which is rightly due him. 

Application

It is very tempting for me to judge fellow Christians by evaluating whether they are good followers of Christ. I must remember that it is only God who knows a person’s heart, and He is the only one who has the right to judge.