Spend and Be Spent
We are able to spend and be spent gladly only when we are filled by Christ.
“I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls” (2 Corinthians 12:15).
There is no more worthy cause than spending and being spent for the kingdom of God!
In the service of the Lord, both spending and being spent are a joy. We “spend” for the Lord’s sake as we give of our time, open our homes, give our attention to needs around us, and carry burdens with our brothers and sisters in Christ. But we will also be spent. There will be needs that arise that are not on our agenda for the day. The Lord may lead us to places where we prefer to hold on to what we have instead of gladly being spent.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9–10, Paul pleaded with God to remove a “thorn” in his flesh. When Paul asked for the thorn to be taken away, what was God’s response? “My power is made perfect in weakness.” This was probably not the response Paul was hoping for! Yet Paul replied, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Paul used this same sequence of words a few verses later when he said, “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.” What was Paul saying here that he wants us to connect? In two circumstances where we are tempted not to respond with gladness—in our weakness being exposed and in giving ourselves away for the sake of another—the power of Christ in us can produce a joyful reply. We can serve gladly and spend ourselves gladly for the sake of our Lord because it is His strength in us! His power is made perfect in our weakness.
Charles Spurgeon said, “...Store your minds very richly, and then, like merchants with crowded warehouses, you will have goods ready for your customers, and having arranged your good things upon the shelves of your mind, you will be able to hand them down at any time without the laborious process of going to market, sorting, folding, and preparing… Take it as a rule without exception, that to be able to overflow spontaneously you must be full.”
We are able to spend and be spent gladly only when we are filled by Christ. Spending what you don’t have is stressful, tiring, and draining. Spending what has been purposefully stored away is joyful, fulfilling, and celebratory, creating deep and lasting joy!
Abby Norris is one of the amazing women at Immanuel helping to gather ladies into Women’s Discipleship Cohorts launching this September. These groups are a beautiful opportunity to experience deep community, gospel transformation, and belonging. We’d love for you to be part of it. Learn more and sign up here!
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