Foolish and Weak

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 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. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,so that, as it is written, ”Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (ESV)

I don’t know about you, but I’ve done some foolish things in my life. I’m a fool, and what’s more, I’m too weak to resist the temptation to repeat doing some of those same foolish things. I’m weak. I’m a fool and I’m weak. I’m too weak to stop being foolish.

The good news, Paul says, is that God chose me to minister to those who think they are wise and strong precisely because I am foolish and weak. It takes humility to admit that you are foolish and weak. It takes pride to think that you are wise and strong. In these verses, we learn that humility shames the proud as they come to realize that, without God, no one has wisdom or strength because he is the only lasting source of both.

So let us declare to the world the wisdom and strength of our God — who is the God of the humble and friend of the weak. He washes the feet of the weary and gives his strength to those in need. He is the Lord Jesus Christ! He is the Hungry – Track 3: Humble King!

Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That’s why we have the saying, “If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.” – 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (The Message)