A Minister of Necessity
1 Corinthians 9:16
For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is
laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
Necessity means to impose either by circumstances, or by law of duty
regarding your life or work. Perhaps this doesn't seem like a worthy
reason to minister, but it was the reason for Paul. There was his
necessity to please God. God is our fulfillment, our purpose for living,
our hope, our health, our future, our freedom from the past, our Savior, our
King, our Lord, etc. I have read that there are over 219 names for our
God. He is everything to us who believe, even the breath we inhale.
Necessity reached out and grabbed Paul by the throat and compelled him to follow and to serve. All of his life was over. He was the Lord's and the Lord's alone. He met the master and now was drawn in by a force, no a person, greater than him. From this day on he would preach the gospel. "Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!"
Has this same urgency, or necessity taken hold of you? Are souls of the lost driving you to speak the good news to just one more person? Are you moved with compassion by, "Dead man walking"? This is the descriptive phrase used of a man on death row. All around us are people enjoying this life, laughing, playing, cheering, but they are dead men walking. They scoff at God, are ignorant of Him and are not interested in Him. The bible calls them heathen. But they are walking and running to their destiny with eternity without a Savior. They will be eternally dead, yet they stand eye to eye with us, presenting such liveliness that we imagine them to be alive.
Necessity needs to lay hold on us. We need a necessity to please God. And we need to be grasped as Paul was, by the necessity to spare everlasting beings from the terror of Hell. Will you be knocked off you high horse by the Savior and commit your life to preaching the Gospel?