What Did I Forget?

Maybe I have a weird sense of humor. Ok, I'll admit it - I do have a weird sense of humor! That will explain why something I read today in the Bible struck me as funny.

In a letter to the church of Corinth, Paul says something that made me laugh. He said, "Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else."

Does that strike anyone else as funny? I think it's great that Paul can't remember who he baptized because it helps me relate to him on a new level. It would seem that forgetfulness can happen to anyone.

Sometimes I walk over to my pantry and can't remember what I'm looking for. I can usually remember someone's name for about 30 seconds, then it's mysteriously erased from my brain. If I don't write something down, I can be certain that it will be forgotten, so I keep lists everywhere. The older I get, the worse my memory becomes! Can you relate?

Paul was talking about the church in Corinth and the fact that they weren't getting along. Some of them said they followed Paul, some Apollos, some Cephas and still others said they followed Christ. Paul wanted to let them know the only One they should be following was Christ.

Paul asked them, "Were you baptized in the name of Paul? Was Paul crucified for you?" Paul goes on to say that he's thankful he did not baptize any of them so no one could say they were baptized in his name.

Paul then told the church to focus on Christ; not any other person. Paul told the church that his priority was to preach the gospel so that the cross was not emptied of its power. Basically, he was telling them not to look to anyone other than Christ for wisdom, power and strength.

When we look to other people instead of Christ, we lessen the gift Christ gave us when He died on the cross. That's one thing we shouldn't forget, no matter how poor our brains may be. Even though Paul couldn't remember all the names of the people he baptized, we'll cut him some slack because he definitely had his priorities straight.

Scripture: I Cor. 1:10-17

Prayer: Jesus, I don't want to ever put anyone in front of You. You died on the cross for me, and I am so grateful. Thank you for the gift of salvation. I never want to forget what You've sacrificed for me.