IBS- 2 CORINTHIANS 13:11
“Finally brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”
Paul here is ending his exhortation on examining yourself and how you fit perfectly in the body of Christ; but he ends it with rejoicing that they would enjoy the joy of walking in their relationship with God. He says here, “become complete” I know for me it is easier for me to just excuse myself and say “I wasn’t meant for that” or “I’m just not into that” or “that’s not how my brain works”, but we weren’t meant to be perfect but to continuously work on ourselves so that we may give and use all the gifts and skills God has blessed us with. It just reminds me that I’m not going to be good at everything and that is okay. That is why we form a body- not I am the body. Its humbling yet challenging at some points to keep this mind set but we must strive to be complete knowing that we will never get there. It cost something to work hard in the body of Christ; but we gain everything by doing what we are called to do in that time and season in Him. In 1 Peter 5:10 it says, “but may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” We are made perfect in the one who created it all. Only by Him we are saved therefore only by Him are we made new and brought to a place of belonginess and joy in Him. It says here to “be of one mind” this has been said many times in the Bible- I’m starting to think its an issue for many- it is and it still is. The way we think is to please ourselves and our sinful nature is so quick to take over how we act think and react to things. In Philippians 1:27 it says, “only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that weather I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Don’t be fake in the body of Christ- or in general. When we try to be someone or something we aren’t called to be we are not only making ourselves look like fools but God too. We are made in His image and so we are denying and saying He made us wrong we even though we are made perfect in Him. We are not meant to be in distress our whole life but to live in peace so I love how here at the very end Paul writes “live in peace” but also in knowing the God you serve is full of “love and peace” and He will never leave you with anything else.

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