4 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Psalm 82-84
1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (CSB): “Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in his presence. It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption —in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

I chose a longer-than-usual text for this morning’s reflection. As I spent time with the Lord this morning, this passage seemed to cry out to me to reflect upon it.

Simply put, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 calls us to acknowledge that the Lord often chooses unimpressive people to follow Him and serve Him. In fact, that seems to be the general rule.

The reason we are given is two-fold: 1) “so that no one may boast in His presence” (v. 29), and 2) so that we will “boast in the Lord” (v. 31).

Restated, God tends to select unimpressive folks because He doesn’t want them to brag about themselves. Instead, He wants them to brag on Him.

Now, if that logic were used by any man or woman, we would have a right to stand agast at such arrogance and self-centeredness. But the rules change completely when we realize that it is God who is saying this. Why? Because people who crave such affirmation are narcissistic and believe themselves to be greater than they actually are. But God has no one and nothing greater than Himself. Praising Him and bragging on Him is absolutely appropriate because He is the greatest of all beings in and beyond our universe.

But there is something else that we must realize.

Have you ever experienced something so incredible that the only appropriate response was to quietly stand in awe? Maybe it was a beautiful sunset? Or a powerful thunderstorm? Or the intricate details and aroma of a flower? The joy you had in that experience was to simply be quiet and enjoy the moment.

But suppose that you are on a vacation in the mountains or by the ocean. You get up early to have a time of quiet solitude as you feast your eyes on the first rays of the sun coming over the horizon. It’s breathtaking, and you are simply enjoying the almost sacred experience. And then an adult stranger grabs a seat beside you, and without your permission, breaks the silence by telling you about themselves, where they’ve been, and what they’ve done. They aren’t interested in you or the sunrise. They want you to be interested in them. How would that make you feel? Agitated? Angry?

I wonder if it sounds like that to God when we have Him to enjoy, and yet we are often so self-focused. He is worthy of our praise and, truth be told, praising ourselves just doesn’t satisfy our hearts like praising Him.

So, when God looks for people to brag on Him rather than themselves, it honestly makes sense when we think about it.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you see yourself as someone who has nothing to offer, were it not for a gracious God.
  • Ask God to help you find delight in enjoying Him and bragging about Him rather than bragging about yourself.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into what it means to boast in the Lord, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What does it mean to boast in the Lord?”

Sharing

If this post has been helpful to you or if you think it could help others, please consider tapping one of the social media buttons below to share it on your favorite platform.

____________________

Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)