CHERYL MULLIS | GUEST
What do you say to those you love?
I just returned from a trip to Colorado where I had the joy of celebrating the high school graduations of both my niece and my grandson. As I attended the ceremonies and parties, I experienced a mix of emotions. Both graduates had displays filled with photographs capturing significant moments in their lives, and as I looked through them, I couldn’t help but wonder, where has all the time gone? It seemed like only yesterday when they were taking their first steps, starting school, growing, and learning.
Attending the graduations of these two special ones was a true gift—one that I don’t take for granted. When the day came for me to fly home, I found myself lingering, sometimes with tears in my eyes, because I was not quite ready to leave. There was much that I still wanted to say to them.
As my niece and grandson reach these milestones in their lives and prepare for new adventures, I find myself reflecting not only on their future, but also on the years we have shared together. Have I told them often enough how much I love them? Have I pointed them to Christ? Have I reminded them of God’s grace and faithfulness? Have I made the most of opportunities God has given me to invest in their lives?
As I read 2 Corinthians 13, I was struck by the Apostle Paul’s closing words and thought they would be powerful words to share with our recent graduates. Throughout Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, he has demonstrated a deep love for these believers. He knows them well. He has acknowledged that life in Christ is hard. Struggles with weakness, suffering, conflict, and sin are real and provide an opportunity for growth. He has watched them grow in their faith and challenged them to live lives marked by integrity, sacrificial love, repentance, and restoration. He has reminded them of the strength, comfort, and hope found in God. He is confident in the truth of the gospel.
The Heart of the Matter
Paul’s farewell to the Corinthians gives us some insight into what a fruitful farewell might look like. He is compelled to remind them what matters most.
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? (2 Cor. 13:5)
Paul wastes no words getting to the heart of the matter. He warns them of the seriousness of sin and their need for self-examination to see where they are placing their faith. He asks, “Are you a Christian?” “Is there evidence of Jesus Christ in you?” Their faith in Jesus Christ and God’s promises is of utmost importance; a genuine faith, unwavering from the truth leads to lives of repentance and restoration. This is what Paul prays for them. And he leaves them with the charge that this faith in Jesus is the heart of the matter. A life that lives out this faith bears fruit, a fruit that strengthens and encourages the whole church.
A Faith that Bears Fruit
Paul’s final words to the Corinthians charge them to consider how to live fruitful lives, both in relation to each other and with hope and trust in God.
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, love in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. (2 Cor. 13:11-12)
It is as if Paul is saying, “Life is hard. You have faced many struggles—both physically and relationally. You have known weakness, disappointment and the need to depend on God. Yet even in the midst of these trials, rejoice! Have joy! You are united with Christ. See how God is at work in and through you. As He reveals your own need for grace, strive to become a chief repenter who pursues peace and seeks to live in harmony with others. When you see someone who is hurting, walk alongside them and comfort them with the same comfort God has given you. Be confident. Christ will finish the work He has started in you.”
A faith that bears fruit is evidenced by a life increasingly marked by love for God and others, repentance from sin, obedience to God’s Word, and a dependence on Christ.
When opportunities arise for fruitful farewells, or even as we simply walk through life together, let us be intentional to remind each other of the truths that matter most. Let us speak words that endure – reminding those we love of the hope found in Christ, the truths that will sustain them, and the calling to follow Him faithfully in every season.
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor. 13:14).
Cheryl Mullis
Cheryl and her husband Don live in Annapolis, Maryland. Together they have raised five children and are blessed with nine grandchildren. Life together has been full of joys and surprises and through it all, God remains faithful. In addition to spending time with her family, Cheryl loves to travel, play her cello on the worship band, write curriculum, and read a good book at the beach.
Cheryl currently serves Annapolis Evangelical Presbyterian Church as Director of Small Groups and Women’s Ministry. Cheryl loves to study and teach God’s Word and has helped shaped the small group ministry at her church by writing curriculum, mentoring and training leaders, and leading groups. She counts it a joy and privilege to speak at events and retreats, both at her church and in other churches. Her passion is for others to be transformed by Jesus and to understand more deeply what he tells us in his Word.