1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (Phillips). For look at your own calling as Christians, my brothers. You don’t see among you many of the wise (according to this world’s judgment) nor many of the ruling class, nor many from the noblest families. But God has chosen what the world calls foolish to shame the wise; he has chosen what the world calls weak to shame the strong. He has chosen things of little strength and small repute, yes and even things which have no real existence to explode the pretensions of the things that are—that no man may boast in the presence of God. Yet from this same God you have received your standing in Jesus Christ, and he has become for us the true wisdom, a matter, in practice, of being made righteous and holy, in fact, of being redeemed. And this makes us see the truth of scripture: ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.
Observation
“For the Jews ask for miraculous proofs and the Greeks an intellectual panacea, but all we preach is Christ crucified…God has chosen what the world calls foolish to shame the wise; he has chosen what the world calls weak to shame the strong. ” The World (our culture) measures the value of a person or thing by visible proofs, such as effort, intellect, education, position, strength, achievement, or prowess, and bestows its fleeting and fickle moments of fame and recognition on these visible proofs. Paul is telling his audience here that God uses a different measure to chose whom He will use to appoint as witnesses, and to flow through and equip to be the instrument in demonstrating His Glory in each circumstance. Jesus measures by the invisible and intangible method of looking into each heart, setting the role and calling for each one perfectly.
Make no mistake. Heavenly fame and eternal recognition are based on redemption in Christ, and determined by His measures and each one’s obedience to his/her call. Paul tells us that the Message of eternal salvation, redemption and restoration is simple and all-sufficient, understandable and embraceable by all, regardless of his/her “qualifications” (what each brings to the table in the form of intelligence, training, talent, education, wealth, position or accomplishment). As a matter of fact, meeting God’s measure and being obedient to His will may appear foolish and weak to the World, but living without worldly fame and recognition may be the price one is asked to pay to please God and fulfill God’s will and purpose in his/her life. Whatever persecution, insult, disrespect, denigration, humiliation one may experience for that obedience is but sharing in the sufferings of Christ on our behalf – the only possible completely innocent One Who bore our sin and shame because God counted His sacrifice worth our redemption.
Impact on Me
So, I am completely human and was raised in a performance-based family with high expectations for the children. I was blessed that my family was also generous, loving, kind, caring of others and believed in God. We just didn’t know that we could have a personal relationship with Jesus and be led by the Holy Spirit to fulfill the expectations that God had for us rather than marking out our own path. We could only strive with our own strength to deal with our brokenness, failures and sin.
Over the years, I have learned to go often to the Cross. There I can lay my brokenness, failures and sin at the feet of Jesus and allow His sacrifice to be sufficient for my healing and restoration, my strength and my equipping for His service. I have learned to appreciate my God-given gifts – in me and others – as instruments to be placed in His hands, as a guitar is for the fine musician. In His hands they can do wonders and be magnified far past what I can do on my own. When I am tempted to take credit, I think of the noise a guitar would make in my inexperienced hands and remember to let the praise and glory pass on to the One Who is the expert. Whatever I have to offer, whatever society judges me to be, I am content to know that in His hands, Jesus is sufficient to fulfill God’s eternal will and purpose in and through my life.
Prayer
Father God, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, You made it all and are the true experts in it all. Never let me forget that I am only an instrument in Your hands. If I allow You to use me, You will create a wondrous and beautiful melody in and through my life. So, I determine to let my life, my words, my responses to what the World thinks, says or does, witness to the sufficiency of Christ crucified because that is enough. Help me to rest not on what I bring to the table but, rather, what You have already done. In Jesus’ name, I pray.