Strictly Business

There's a great line from one of my favorite movies, The Godfather: "It's not personal, it's strictly business'. It's a powerful line about not allowing personal sentiment and emotion to influence sound judgement. It sounds good, but often it's hard to do.

In stark contrast to that is a statement the apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church:

We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
1 Thess. 2:8

It's a little warm and fuzzy for me, but the point is clear: for Paul, it was personal!

It's an incredible statement to me. Think of all the churches that Paul travelled to and was involved with; think of how busy he was; think about how radically committed he was, not only to the introductory message of the gospel of salvation, but also to seeing the church grow into spiritual maturity!

That phrase, 'we loved you so much...' is a huge challenge to actually live out. When it is, you end up with deep and powerful community, but you also take some real risks because your heart is on the line. It's the very thing that Michael Corleone, in The Godfather, was working to avoid.

As a Christian, I am compelled to strive to follow Paul's example. It's an incredible goal to pursue and one that continually challenges me.