Friday, September 26, 2008
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Becoming Wise and Strong
"For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength" (1 Corinthians 1:25).
If I were to say that God is wise or that God is strong, there are probably few of you who would dispute that. Of course he is! In fact, if we want to make the meaning of the above verse crystal clear, we could say that even when God is as stupid as he can be (which is truly a ridiculous statement!), he is still way smarter than the smartest man who ever lived or even all of the wisest people who ever lived put together! And, when God is worn out at the end of a hard day, a hard century, or even after all of eternity, he is still stronger than any or all of us or anything that we can create! All wisdom and all strength is in our God!
"Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe" (1 Corinthians 1:20-21).
How much of what we see and read around us is man's attempt to be wise and to figure everything out? How much of what is done is an attempt to show ourselves strong and to overcome every obstacle? The problem is that the moment it leaves God out of the picture and attempts wisdom on its own, or relies only on its own strength, it will always come up short. Yes, people have been able to understand much about us and our world. We have been able to do many great things. But all of that ends up being little because of this one thing: "the world through its wisdom did not know him" (1 Corinthians 1:21). We may discover much and miss the greatest discovery ever — the One who created everything and everyone! True wisdom and strength is found in knowing God and being in a relationship with him.
Probably most of us have felt stupid or foolish at some time in our lives. I'm sure that we have at some time felt weak or worn out, like we have no strength left to carry on. That is a normal part of being human. And without God, when we come to end of ourselves, there is nothing more. On the other hand, with him and because of him, we can have everything we need. When we are short on wisdom, we can ask him in whom all wisdom, is and he will give generous amounts to us (James 1:5). When we are weak, we can ask God for strength so that we can do anything and everything that we need to do (Philippians 4:13). God intends it to be this way.
"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 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. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are" (1 Corinthians 1:26-28).
If you have ever felt foolish or weak or small or powerless, like you were nothing, you are in a perfect place for God to do something with you. For God takes exactly those kind of people, people like you and me — people who recognize their need for him! — and he puts us in Christ "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). When we are in Christ, Jesus "becomes for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Do we want to be wise? Do we want to be strong? When we find our place in him, we will find all that we need and so much more! We will find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and strength for each and every day and every thing that we encounter. It is all about him. To God be the glory! "Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord' (Jeremiah 9:24)" (! Corinthians 1:31). In him, I too am wiser than the wisest man who ever lived, I too am stronger than the strongest man! Praise you, Lord!
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