“We are glad to seem weak if it helps show that you are actually strong. We pray that you will become mature. I am writing this to you before I come, hoping that I won’t have to deal severely with you when I do arrive. For I want to use the authority the Lord has given me to strengthen you, not to tear you down.”
2 Corinthians 13:9–10 (NLT)
Paul makes it clear: he did not want to exercise harsh discipline when visiting the church in Corinth. His deepest desire was not to tear them down, but to strengthen them. He longed for their maturity, their repentance, and their joy in Christ. His prayer was that they would embrace correction before he came, so his authority could build instead of break.
This heart posture reminds us of how God works with us. Like a parent coming home, Paul warned them to “clean up” before he arrived. But unlike Corinth, we won’t get advance notice when Jesus returns. His coming will be sudden. That means today is the day to repent, obey, and walk in the Spirit.
Paul’s instruction in verse 11 shows us how to live in God’s presence: be joyful, grow in maturity, encourage one another, and live in harmony and peace. When we yield to the Spirit, His fruit produces love and peace within us. But when we resist, we block His presence and power from flowing through us.
Let’s not fool ourselves into thinking we’ve outgrown Corinth’s struggles. We still wrestle with sin, pride, and comparison. But God’s authority—through His Word and His Spirit—is meant to strengthen us, not crush us. If we repent, yield, and obey, we experience the fullness of the God of love and peace.