“What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it.” (1 Corinthians 9:18)

As Christians share the good news with their relatives or friends and ask them to attend cell groups or church activities, the actions they take are truly from the love of God. Some invited friends however are suspicious of their motives or attitudes as if these Christians would benefit themselves from “recruiting” people to God’s church.

While Paul was preaching the gospel in Corinth, he met a couple Aquila and Priscilla who happened to be tentmakers just as he was. Paul therefore stayed with them and worked together at their common trade of tentmaking. Each Sabbath Paul went to the synagogue and reason with both Jews and Greeks about Jesus the Messiah.

In his letter to the Corinthian church paul defended himself that he had the rights like the other apostles such as eating, drinking, and marrying a Christian wife. He even cited some verses from the Old testament that he deserved some rewards from serving God like “those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?” But he personally relinquished these rights for the sake of the gospel. What’s more, he even claimed that he would be running into trouble if he didn’t preach the gospel.

The good news of Jesus Christ belongs to God Himself alone and we children of God are bearers of this great message. Whatever we do or where we work our priority is alway to preach the word of God just as Paul went to the God’s temple each Sabbath and convinced the Jews or non-Jews about Jesus.