The Source of Life
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1 Corinthians 1:20-31
20. Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21. For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23. but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24. but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26. For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; 27. 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, 28. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29. so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption; 31. therefore, as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord."
Last night I took a rare opportunity to watch a network television program! I know it’s shocking! I watched about 2/3 of a new series on the first woman president (I fell asleep before it ended). I won’t ramble on too much, but do want to set the stage. The president has had a stroke of some kind and just prior to his death he specifically asked Madam Vice President to resign so the Speaker of the House could assume the Presidency because initially it was believed he would live, but would be incapacitated through many months of rehab. As the conversations take place, it becomes apparent she had been an attractive running mate not because of their shared philosophical bent, but because of the women’s votes desperately needed by the majority party.
Of course, she refuses to step down after she realizes that the current men in power are “power hungry” and driven by their lust for control of the world. Not quite that blatant or cut and dried, but in a nutshell, that brings us up to next week’s show. I probably won’t watch every week, but I may tune in from time to time if the focus remains on politics and the political system and its inner workings. The story line fits, I think this portion of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. He tells them that it is not the one who delivers the message who matters. It has little to do with ability or intellect or worldly wisdom--it is the heart of the receiver that matters.
I can be as well-educated as any person on earth. I may have a vast vocabulary. I may have written hundreds of scholarly dissertations on a variety of topics. But if my audience is not receptive, open, interested in what I have to say, I may as well be silent. Because it is through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that causes understanding to happen. I have to want to hear what the speaker is saying, and then I need to discern how it applies to my life. I cannot achieve either of my own volition. I may turn to the world, and to the scholars and the wise men and women of this world for answers to my life questions. And I may find answers that suffice for a time. But when the going gets rough, when I must rely upon my own will and knowledge to maintain, I fall short.
God wants us to give Him the glory, the credit, the praise. He want us to acknowledge and accept him as the source of every ability, all power and influence. He is the reason we get up in the morning -- so we can share the Good News with others -- it’s all about Him -- not you, not me, not anyone or anything on this earth. Only God. He doesn’t want to share us. He doesn’t want anything else to be more important to us. We buy the latest, greatest gadget to make our life easier. We follow the teachings of the latest self-help guru. We seek after success and power and recognition in this world. And all of it works. For a while. Wayne Dyer says there’s no such thing as self-help. We cannot rely on ourselves to be happy and whole. We must connect to God.
My prayer today is that you go to God first, last, and every time in between. And that you share the Good News of the joy, peace and wholeness found only in the One who created it all.
Mary
