There is an old saying that no one can be all things to all people as we will undoubtedly disappoint some and anger others. Paul reckons that he tried becoming like others to serve them and be as Christ to them (1 Cor. 9.19) and in doing so bring them into the fold of following Christ. However, in doing so Paul is also flexing his muscles, so to speak, in order to enforce the Corinthians to do things the way he suggests. It is a rhetorical gambit in some respects that enables Paul to achieve his ends in Corinth and the surrounding countryside of Achaia. Is this really the model of our ministry and the way that we should approach those we live and work alongside to bring them the message of Christ and God's presence in our lives? Manipulation through mimicry rather than an honest undertaking seeking to use God's power and not relying on our own powers of persuasion or rhetoric.
The prophet Isaiah is clear in terms of God (Is.40.21-22) and what God is to us. We cannot set ourselves up in such a way that our word is right, as we cannot know God as fully as we can know ourselves. By placing ourselves in positions of authority and suggesting that our way is correct, as Paul seems to do, we are placing ourselves in the position of God whom we cannot know and understand. From this point of view it is not on our own merits, being something to all people, that we are enabled to do the work that God has set aside for us. We rely on God not the other way around as Paul seems to suggest. Isaiah states that it is God who gives us the strength when we inevitably fall or appear to become stuck in the things that we are doing for God (Is. 40.30-31). If we cannot rely on our own thinking and our own power and authority how then do we approach any form of "selling" the Gospel to those who do not live the life of Christ?
It cannot be as simple as Paul suggests by being this or that to the other and thus being on their good side etc. The more we attempt to do that the more likely it is that each of us is going to end up burnt out from attempting to do too much. There is always the problem of deciding what takes precedence over which demand that comes our way. In some respects we are always trying to put out fires as soon as they appear rather than trying to prevent them in the first place. Then when we actually try to put out the fire we actually jump in feet first and come away burnt and depressed because our efforts achieved nothing. Perhaps, we need to stop and actually become a little like Christ in what we do. Mark's gospel tells of Christ putting in effort and then wandering of for a time of prayer and quiet contemplation (Mk. 1:35) before going onto something new. Christ's preparation for new things and new challenges is in prayer and quiet time before God. Lent is around the corner and is a time for us to prepare for new things in prayer and God's presence.
However, another important point to note in this story is that he leaves behind those that are clamouring for the good things that they have been having. It is almost as if to say "I have shown you how, now you do it". We actually feel let down by Christ moving away into something new, it as if we have become used to the miracle workers presence how dare he leave us. But what if it is something that he leaves for us to do in his absence: care for the sick, cast out demons and follow in his steps (Maybe it is time for us to think differently and move on). He knows he cannot be there for everyone all the time. We need to look to God in those times when the solution is not in front of us or handed to us on a platter. This is when we actually need to strive towards God's presence in our lives and not rely on the miracle worker or the guy with ideas or the person who is always there until they are not. Given the circumstances of the year that has gone perhaps it is for us to decide that now is the time to move on to something different. We definitely can't be all things to all people and sometimes it is to our benefit to move on to something new rather than to cling to our past glories or the things that have always been there to support us.
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