Author: David Short

1 Corinthians 4:10

We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored!

Personal Challenge

What is the most important thing in our lives? Is it Jesus Christ? If it is not, then something of this world is. Does the world look at us and our everyday behavior, and call us a fool because we have given ourselves over to Him and live as He would live? If not, then we are living for ourselves and not God. I must search my own life and identify those areas where I have not submitted to my Lord and seek forgiveness for holding on to the things of Egypt rather than yielding to the promised land. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy on me, the sinner!

1 Corinthians 3:18

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.

Personal Challenge

We so often confuse knowledge with wisdom. It is one thing to be very learned and full of a lot of information about things, even important things, but it is entirely something else to have the wisdom to know how or when to apply that knowledge. We have become a people of the information age and are experts at collecting a lot of information. But if we do not have the wisdom of God within us, and most importantly, are willing to listen to that voice of wisdom, then we are fools before God and man and deceived. It is more important to know God intimately than to know volumes of information about Him. He wants us to become fools in this world for Him so that He can make us wise in Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

1 Corinthians 2:9

But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Encouraging Words

Just as we can never, in our finite state, know and understand the greatness of our God, we will never know until we enter into His Kingdom, the wonderful things that He has prepared for us. We do not just live our lives in the present day for the gifts that He has bestowed upon us, but we live in the hope of all that He has prepared for us into eternity. Glory be to God!

1 Corinthians 1:30-31

But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”

Personal Challenge

Being in a church that has rubrics that are followed on a regular basis, it can be easy to slip into a mindset where we begin to think that the adherence to those rubrics is what saves us or gives us righteousness. Not so! The rubrics are there to teach us discipline. It is like going to the gym. There are all forms of exercising equipment available to us. The equipment does not do anything to help us tone and shape our bodies unless we develop the discipline to use it properly. In our churches, it is Christ Jesus who is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. It is living in Him, practicing His teachings , and developing the discipline of walking in Him that makes us His children. Through Him, and Him alone, that we have glory. Glory be to God!

1 Corinthians 1:25-29

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.

Encouraging Words

Throughout the scriptures, both the old and the new testaments, we see God doing and saying things that are upside down from our earthly perspective. He chose David, the smallest and meekest of all his brothers to be the King. He used Moses who had difficulty speaking to be His spokesman to Pharaoh, He chose a young girl to be the mother of His Son. And, the list goes on. By doing this, God elevated those who were humble and submissive. He showed us all that it is not by our power and capability that we accomplish His work but that it is Him, and only Him, that accomplishes His work through those who are willing to submit to Him. It is up to us to be willing to submit to Him and those that He has chosen to use in order to be used by Him ourselves. We do this out of our love for Him and our desire to glorify and magnify Him and not us. Glory be to God!

1 Corinthians 1:18

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Encouraging Words

God’s ways are so much different than the ways of men. He used the cross, the most abased image in the history of mankind, to lift up His Son as the salvation of mankind. In our human mind, we believe that glory and honor is what is needed to be leaders of others. For God, humility is the key to this, not glory and honor. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

1 Corinthians 1:10

Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Personal Challenge

We live in a very contentious age where the concept of us versus them has become prevalent and the norm. This has even worked its way into the church. Mob rule is not an acceptable way for a follower of Christ. Coercion and undermining others are not acceptable Christian practices. We have been given a model of leadership to follow and ways to have civil discourse amongst our fellow brothers and sisters in order to maintain unity in the body of Christ. When we choose to abandon this we end up with divisions and anarchy, which are antithetical to our God’s way. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Romans 16:17-18

Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.

Personal Challenge

In the early church, Paul and the other church fathers had to deal with those who were bent on causing divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrines of the church. We still have this problem today in our churches. For many years it was the pew hoppers that would go from congregation to congregation in their denominational preference always trying to either find that one thing that tickled their ears or trying to make their new church conform to how they wanted the church to be. When that did not work, they would jump again. Today we are seeing people jump from one faith practice to another with the intent to make the new one that they end up in like the one they have just left. This is not how it is supposed to be and Paul is telling us to avoid these people. There are times when we should turn away those who are not willing to accept aid embrace the teachings and ways of the church. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!