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
will misguide 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, they were chosen because they were less
susceptible to becoming prideful. They could remain focused on
God and His will, rather than thinking more highly of themselves.
God sees something in us that is not detected by mankind.
How was that beneficial 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 don’t 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 will be 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 organized structure with rules, guidelines and
consequences for violations.
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.
The problem is, they failed to accept God’s plan in its entirety, and
don’t 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 us 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 thoughts,
words and actions, and to teach me how to encourage
others who may be in a valley. Teach me how to remind
them that they we created by You which means that You
have plans for them which are good, encouraging, and
endow them with a purpose for living.”
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