1 Corinthians 1:20Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
We live in an age of information overload. With the click of a mouse, we can instantaneously be connected to the internet where search engines will take any question we pose and guide us to multiple articles on the subject about which we wish to know more. It's astonishing to see how many credited and self-proclaimed experts there are in any random field of study. We are free to acquire any and all knowledge professed by any number of learned individuals, but no matter how much we know or think we know, that in and of itself does not make us wise. We must be discerning, understanding that the wisdom of this world is precisely that: Of this world. It is finite, limited, and made foolish in the light of God's absolute and infinite wisdom.
To the logistics of worldly wisdom, Paul tells us, the cross appears foolish, incomprehensible. It simply doesn't fit into the natural order of things that our senses can grasp. But, that is exactly why God used it in this way. Jesus, through His live, death, and resurrection, is God breaking into history, changing the rules, showing the way, making foolish our wisest preconceived notions. The wise persons, the teachers of the law, the philosophers who continue to lean upon their own understanding and boast in their accomplishments, fail to see that all they know, all they do, and all they are is because God has graced them with those very gifts. The truly wise in this age will give thanks to God for their very being and boast in Him alone.
"I will boast in the Lord, my God. I will boast in the One who's worthy." ~ Paul Baloche
Readings
Psalms 61, 62 or 68:1-20 (21-23) 24-36
1 Kings 21:1-16
1 Corinthians 1:20-31
Matthew 4:12-17
I love your writing style your message is always clear and strong!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://jpweddingphotograpy.blogspot.com/2011/09/faces-of-ground-zero.html
Love this line:
ReplyDeleteThe wise persons, the teachers of the law, the philosophers who continue to lean upon their own understanding and boast in their accomplishments, fail to see that all they know, all they do, and all they are is because God has graced them with those very gifts.
As I have written extensively in my blog about gifts that are bestowed upon us at incarnation:
Finding Your Gift:
http://cjpwisdomandlife.com/2010/06/07/finding-your-gift/
Choosing Your Own Life:
http://cjpwisdomandlife.com/2010/10/05/choosing-our-own-life/
Everything is a Gift:
http://cjpwisdomandlife.com/2011/01/12/everything-is-a-gift/
Our purpose in this life is to locate the gift that God has given us and run with it as in the first link above:
Finding Your Gift.
EVERYONE has a god given talent. I'm sure we've ALL heard that said many times before. The challenge is that when we discover our gift, our talent we more times than not dissuaded from pursuing it as in the case of Lunchtime Conversation:
http://cjpwisdomandlife.com/2011/01/10/lunchtime-conversations/
When we discover our gift, it is SO EXTREMELY important to pursue it. Don't let ANYONE dissuade you.
As always, Martha, you have great insights and you make it next to impossible for me NOT to write long replies.
Keep blogging and I'll keep responding. We all will.
Blessings.
--
Chris
Thanks so much, Jim and Chris, for stopping by and leaving such encouraging words! I am so gratified that two such wonderful writers appreciate the daily devotions. :)
ReplyDeleteChris, I will be sure to check out your writings about gifts; thanks for including them here for everyone else to check out, too!
Blessings!
Martha. Part of me is sitting here thinking, am i a self professed expert. Am i trying to tell people what to do. On the other side, being a believer in god, but (whispering) not religion, these words that your other commenter also picked up on "The wise persons, the teachers of the law, the philosophers who continue to lean upon their own understanding and boast in their accomplishments, fail to see that all they know, all they do, and all they are is because God has graced them with those very gifts", i think sum up perfectly the natural order of things.
ReplyDeleteI believe i have found my lifes purpose, and my journey to get here was rather strange, but i am where i am meant to be. Sometimes what i write, i say to myself, where did that come from, and as you say there is a power greater than me maybe at times playing a helping hand.
I love your blog because it makes me contemplate and consider things totally new for me.
Great post! I couldn't agree more when you wrote: "We must be discerning, understanding that the wisdom of this world is precisely that: Of this world."
ReplyDeleteMartha, you are a true blessing, my wise friend! Your own wisdom is reaching more folks than you know ;-)
ReplyDeleteThis has actually been a topic of conversation around here this past week. What is wisdom and what is knowledge? Not many people I have conversed with about it know the difference, let alone think there is one. It is so important to be reminded of Biblical wisdom...thank you so much Martha!
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