“But GOD chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; GOD chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; GOD chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of GOD.”
There’s something so beautiful, so counter-cultural, so ridiculous about this passage that makes me speechless at the thought of GOD. GOD is all about HIS glory. We have been created to proclaim this glory. The sun, the moon, the stars, everything in nature proclaims GOD’s glory. However, due to my sin and depravity, i don’t seek to give GOD HIS due glory, but i seek my own.
It’s this self-seeking glory that i celebrate on the soccer field, or at concerts, or when i tell a joke. It’s that passion that swallows me up, yet is never satisfied. I get an A in a class, suddenly i have something to be proud about. I score a goal; somebody cheer about it because i deserve it. It’s this prideful attitude that GOD was purposefully neglecting when HE designed the salvation plan.
Read that passage again, but slower. “But GOD chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise....” The Gospel is not for the know-it-all. It’s for the foolish. It’s not for the person that needs to understand the reasoning behind GOD’s love for him, but for the person who doesn’t understand why GOD would love him. GOD’s love makes no sense. It’s folly. A perfectly righteous GOD humiliatingly dies on a cross for someone who has constantly rejected HIS love, that doesn’t make any sense.
“GOD chose what is weak in this world to shame the strong.” GOD gave the Gospel for those who cannot stand on their own, for the ones who are broken and depressed, for the orphans and widows. GOD does not choose the fast, the strong, nor the lively, but HE chooses the ones who have no shot at temporal, earthly glory. HE does not choose what most people would choose. HE doesn’t pick the hot-shot forward for HIS team, but the waterboy. He doesn’t choose the linebacker, but the cancer patient. GOD wants the ones with the least potential in our eyes, to receive more glory when they have joy even through cancer or cleaning toilets. What is glory in our eyes is worthless in GOD’s.
GOD would rather use an orphan than a movie star because HE knows that the orphan will depend on HIM for everything. GOD would rather use a cancer patient than a football star. GOD would rather use a murderer than a goodie-two-shoes. When you know you don’t deserve your life, then GOD graciously gives you life any way, you’d be more useful to HIM than if you thought you deserved life.
GOD works in mysterious ways, but one thing HE has made clear to us is that HE hates pride. Remember that your life is not your own, and use it to glorify HIM and not yourself. Hopefully, HE has made others better than you, so that you may see how unworthy you are to receive HIS gift of grace. We must let our pride go before we can fully serve HIM honestly.
I Corinthians 1:27-29.
There’s something so beautiful, so counter-cultural, so ridiculous about this passage that makes me speechless at the thought of GOD. GOD is all about HIS glory. We have been created to proclaim this glory. The sun, the moon, the stars, everything in nature proclaims GOD’s glory. However, due to my sin and depravity, i don’t seek to give GOD HIS due glory, but i seek my own.
It’s this self-seeking glory that i celebrate on the soccer field, or at concerts, or when i tell a joke. It’s that passion that swallows me up, yet is never satisfied. I get an A in a class, suddenly i have something to be proud about. I score a goal; somebody cheer about it because i deserve it. It’s this prideful attitude that GOD was purposefully neglecting when HE designed the salvation plan.
Read that passage again, but slower. “But GOD chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise....” The Gospel is not for the know-it-all. It’s for the foolish. It’s not for the person that needs to understand the reasoning behind GOD’s love for him, but for the person who doesn’t understand why GOD would love him. GOD’s love makes no sense. It’s folly. A perfectly righteous GOD humiliatingly dies on a cross for someone who has constantly rejected HIS love, that doesn’t make any sense.
"folly, folly, folly, folly
all love i cannot comprehend
but the folly of our GOD
beats the genius of all men"
-The Love of GOD is Folly.
“GOD chose what is weak in this world to shame the strong.” GOD gave the Gospel for those who cannot stand on their own, for the ones who are broken and depressed, for the orphans and widows. GOD does not choose the fast, the strong, nor the lively, but HE chooses the ones who have no shot at temporal, earthly glory. HE does not choose what most people would choose. HE doesn’t pick the hot-shot forward for HIS team, but the waterboy. He doesn’t choose the linebacker, but the cancer patient. GOD wants the ones with the least potential in our eyes, to receive more glory when they have joy even through cancer or cleaning toilets. What is glory in our eyes is worthless in GOD’s.
GOD would rather use an orphan than a movie star because HE knows that the orphan will depend on HIM for everything. GOD would rather use a cancer patient than a football star. GOD would rather use a murderer than a goodie-two-shoes. When you know you don’t deserve your life, then GOD graciously gives you life any way, you’d be more useful to HIM than if you thought you deserved life.
GOD works in mysterious ways, but one thing HE has made clear to us is that HE hates pride. Remember that your life is not your own, and use it to glorify HIM and not yourself. Hopefully, HE has made others better than you, so that you may see how unworthy you are to receive HIS gift of grace. We must let our pride go before we can fully serve HIM honestly.
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