BIBLE PASSAGE:
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise;
God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”
(1 Corinthians 1:27)
MEDITATION:
We live in a “top down” world, don’t we?
In other words, we elect leaders with the idea
that the “people” will follow their lead in all things.
However, God doesn’t work that way.
Why?
Probably because He knows that many (not all) in leadership positions
are susceptible to pride, which is one of the seven things God hates.
There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart
that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil,
a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict
in the community. (Proverbs 6:16-19)
Some people with good moral and ethical character
may be elected or promoted to a leadership position.
As long as they maintain their character,
it is good to have them as leaders.
But if pride begins to grow in them, it can lead to bad choices
and misguiding those who are following their lead.
Pride can lead to corruption which can have
a ‘trickle down’ effect on their followers.
As a result, it can cause other good people to become corrupt as well.
But God chose to invert this “top down” concept.
We can see it in those He chose to do His work.
Fishermen, tax collectors, and zealots
were not considered people in the higher echelon.
It doesn’t mean they were dumb or illiterate, but
they were less susceptible to becoming prideful.
They could remain focused on God and His will,
rather than thinking more highly of themselves.
What does that mean in regards to God’s work?
It means that whenever they presented the gospel,
it was pure and unadulterated by including their own concepts.
Their thinking was, “God said it and I’m sharing it, period.”
They didn’t have the idea that they needed to analyze and
interpret the gospel and show their superiority or intelligence
by modifying the gospel from God.
God knows what He is doing, right?
The ones He chose (and chooses today) to carry His
message are those who accept the gospel as is,
and do not think of the things of God as foolish.
The worldly-minded may think that following someone
who has been crucified is foolishness because He has
shown weakness and has been humiliated.
What they miss is, faith is not built on logic, it is based on
believing God’s Word, even when it may seem confusing.
It is having the same faith as a child
(without trying to analyze or apply logic to His plans).
We can see why that is important
when we hear these words from Jesus.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not
hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as
these.” (Matthew 19:14)
Education is a good thing, but not when it corrupts
the mind into considering good things as foolishness.
Does that happen today?
We can answer that question by taking a look at how
our societal thinking and logic has changed dramatically.
As an example:
Maintaining law and order is a good thing, but some
want to eliminate it so there are no rules and guidelines.
We can see how easily the minds of some have been
corrupted to the point of considering wisdom
as foolishness, and foolishness as wisdom.
This kind of thinking doesn’t come from the “bottom up”,
but from the “top down” of corrupt leaders who have
convinced their followers that chaos is better than organization.
It is a testimony of how the wise have become foolish,
and those considered foolish are actually wise, because
they know the value of rules, guidelines, and crime prevention.
In addition, the worldly consider
the crucifixion of Jesus as a sign of His weakness.
Why?
Because they have failed to see
and understand God’s plan for salvation of mankind.
Additionally, if they would accept God’s plan in its entirety,
they would realize that Jesus was not weak but showed
incredible strength when He humbly participated in God’s plan.
Jesus showed humility that the worldly cannot understand.
He suppressed the power at His disposal to avoid the cross,
for a higher purpose (calling) of obeying God, the Father.
Humility is not a weakness, but rather a gentle strength
that is managed by self-control (demonstrated by Jesus).
ACTION:
“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized
that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished
and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”
(Acts 4:13)
Maybe you didn’t make the “Who’s Who”,
or even worse, you made the “Who’s Not”.
That’s all right, because God has a plan for you!
God knows what He is doing.
He turns the tables on the world’s idea of success.
Wealth, fame, acclaim – none of these
are necessary for you to be used by God.
Being used by God shows a unique wisdom that
cannot be matched by the world and its ways.
Knowledge is gathering information from education
(in the classroom, through books, or from experiences),
but wisdom is knowing what, how, and when to use this
information (for the benefit of one’s self, and others).
The scriptures advise us to love and encourage others.
One of the ways we can encourage is, to make others
aware that there is a God who loves them and considers
them valuable enough to be used by Him.
He has plans for them which are good, and can be
followed through trusting Him and using Godly wisdom.
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for all the ways You have
blessed me, including giving me wisdom to see all things
from You as good, and not as foolishness. Help me to
use this wisdom in my daily life to guide my words and
actions, and to encourage others who may be in a valley.
Teach me how to remind them that they belong to You
which means that You have plans for them which are good,
encouraging, and give them a purpose for living.”
Please join us in the “20 DAYS IN 2 HOURS” Challenge (Starts June 7, 2021)
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