Friday, November 8, 2013

Choosing

11.08.13

1 Corinthians 1.27-29 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.

If there is only one thing I believe about God it is this: He doesn’t do as we want Him to; God does what He does.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and upon the earth God created man to have unending and unbroken fellowship and friendship with him. But in the process man arrogantly chose to go his own way and from that way comes every form of humanism, pride, ambition, and selfishness. And from that way came the insanity of humans believing they could out-god God.

And it is to this global, this racial, this cultural mindset that man must face the truth: God does what God does and He does so without checking in with man first. And with man’s collective wisdom, culture, and history comes mankind’s belief in himself. So God chooses, apart from vindictiveness and petty selfishness, to bring this global, racial, humanistic mindset to the place where it has to admit, God is God and man is not.

Whereas man chooses what he thinks things ought to be and lives accordingly, God chooses the foolish to embarrass the wise. God chooses the weak to shame the strong. And God chooses the low and despised to show the high and haughty what is really important. God uses what mankind thinks is trash to accomplish His eternal plan; and man’s agenda ain’t that important, no matter what he thinks and says about it.

God chooses what He does and how He does because He is God and our puffed-up view of ourselves is empty and vain. Like a child who grows up and says he’s not going to live like his parents – he’s going to do it right – so is man to God. But God lovingly, patiently, chooses things that are not to bring to nothing the things that are. Mankind, in his own mind, no matter what he thinks of himself, ain’t that hot.

My values must reflect His – I must, like God, choose the things of this world that are despised and thought little of; things like love, compassion, sacrifice, humility, and selflessness. I don’t do this to show that I am special or better, but that I believe that God has always, always, always had something far greater in store for those who would choose Him rather than the vainglory of the world.

Papa, I believe in You. I respect that You choose what You choose and use what You use to bring men to that place where they quit loving themselves and their systems, and bow the knee to Your existence, Your presence, and Your Kingdom where the foolish are wise, the weak are strong and the despised are valued; where service means more than being served, and where it is more blessed to give than to receive. Father, I believe in You! Amen.

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