Scum of the World...

Is it your goal to be the "scum of the world"?

I have to say that it has not been mine...it has been far from it!

Today as I was reading 1 Corinthians 4 I noticed something I had never really seen before...it was a challenge to us. A challenge to us from Paul, one of Christ's apostles.

1 Corinthians 4:9-13:
God has exhibited us apostles as:

• last of all
• like men sentenced to death
• a spectacle to the world
• a spectacle to angels
• a spectacle to men
• fools for Christ's sake
• weak
• held in disrepute
• hungry
• thirsty
• poorly dressed
• buffeted
• homeless
• laborers with our own hands
• when reviled, we bless
• when persecuted, we endure
• when slandered, we entreat
• We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.

WOW...Okay so that was the apostles....where's the challenge??

Check out the next three verses (1 Corinthians 4:14-16):

• In verse 14 Paul says he writes these things to "ADMONISH us"
• In verse 15 Paul says that he is our father and GUIDE in Christ Jesus
• Then in verse 16 we get the challenge..."I urge you, then, be imitators of me."

So if Paul is admonishing us, that means we are doing something WRONG that needs CORRECTION

And if he is our GUIDE that means we should be following what he is doing!

BUT if that isn't clear enough he says "BE imitators of me"
...Notice it doesn't say "try to imitate me" or "do your best to imitate me" it says "BE" - that is a verb that requires action on our part!

So basically...BE all of those things on the list...the things that Paul and the other apostles were.

How are you looking in comparison to the list? Are any of those true of you? Are you considered the scum of the world? If you aren't, you should be trying to be or at least working toward it!!

Do you think it is worth it?
I think it is!