Boasting
How humble are you?
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. Consider your own call, brothers and sisters:not many of you were wise by human 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, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.' - 1 Corinthians 1:20-31
In today's reading, Paul tells us that we should boast, not in ourselves, but in God, for God chooses those who are not wise, not strong over those who are.
That's kind of a left-handed compliment, isn't it?
But that is what humility is all about. If we see ourselves as great, we are not being humble. If we see ourselves as wise, we are being foolish, strong, we are being weak.
Such is the fate of the bully who pushes others around. We should not be bullies about our faith. We should remember that we are nothing, and it is only through God's grace that we achieve all we do.
But don't we like to boast?
Don't we like to show people how smart we are, setting as a goal to answer all the questions on Jeopardy before the contestant?
When it comes to humility, we all have to work hard at it. We are natural born boasters.
So, how do we boast in the Lord? Do we go around telling people how great God is?
Perhaps. It may just be that simple. For in God, all things are simple. Nothing is complicated. We exist because He loves us. And when we die, we are with Him forever. That's something to boast about.
More to come...