For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 1 Corinthians 4:20
“It is not enough for the Corinthian Christians to stop quarreling with each other. The apostle calls them to follow him in serving the Lord. As their brother in Christ he has given them the message of life and peace. Now he pleads with them to avoid their disputes and to unite in doing deeds of compassion in the name of the Redeemer, “for the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power.”
Larry Woodruff in Living Abundantly: Meditations on the Acts of the Apostles, the Letters of the Apostle Paul, Other Letters, and The Revelation to John (Bloomington: WestBow, 2017) 128.
We are living in a time when people quarrel and have disputes about everything from the pandemic to politics. The Apostle Paul would say we we must abandon the talk and get on with the walk. Instead, we should be characterized as people doing deeds of compassion.
How do we stay on track? For some, it might mean to unplug from the news on television. For others, it might mean fast from social media. For all of us, it will take shape when we seek first the kingdom of God so that His power will be manifest in and through our lives.
Pause. Think about what needs to change in your life. As God to help you change in the new year so the disputes stop and the compassionate deeds start. I am learning to say “No” to things so that I can say “Yes” to better things. It’s a process. God help me. God help us all.