Today’s Reading is from 1 Corinthians 1:26-31(NIV) 26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.(A) Not many of you were wise(B) by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose(C) the foolish(D) things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not(E)—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.(F) 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,(G) who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,(H) holiness(I) and redemption.(J) 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

(Message) 26-31 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.”

I don’t know about you…..but when I first read over the scripture for today, I immediately went to the “nots”! Boy, how the great deceiver wants to sneak in guilt and condemnation. So, I decided to stop….pray again…and to take the advice of good friend and just tell the old devil “OK, so what’s your point?”….and move on!

Then, I realized that I had missed the first verse, entirely….”think of what you were when you were called”….somehow…that touched my heart…Jesus had my attention.

Then..here we go again…into those “nots” about the wise…the influential…the brightest and the best…..the noble at birth…Hey, wait a minute…I kinda like that stuff…sounds pretty good to me…except for the noble birth thing (we don’t get to choose our parents). Then, Paul throws in that “by human standards” stuff….uh oh. Ok, Jesus, you’ve got my attention..again. Then Paul talks of the foolish, weak and lowly things…the despised things…the things that are “not”… that He, God the Father Almighty, has chosen to shame the wise & the strong – “to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him”

So what are you telling me Jesus?...are you warning me about how my pride…my boastfulness, the pursuit of wisdom & knowledge…the desire to be the best & the brightest..& how those things can get in the way of my relationship with you?...or is this really about me?

“It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness & redemption.”

…no, it’s all about Him! There is nothing on this earth that I, or anyone else, can do or try to become…to earn salvation or to have life to full….my worldly significance matters not. He has and is much more than we can imagine. All that’s required is our simple faith in Jesus.

Oh, and about the “called” thing…..He chose that, too! So let’s go out humbly, yet boldly, and “boast in the Lord”!

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Blessings to you & yours! jim