Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day “1st Corinthians 1:27 ” But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”
God has always used seemingly foolish things to shock the world. Better yet, he asks for our deep faith and belief and then uses our own foolishness to glorify Himself. The Bible is full of stories and events that the world looked at as utterly ridiculous. The circumstances were so unreal that they seemed ludicrous. Sarah buying maternity clothes at age 90? Noah building an Arc and preparing for a flood in the middle of a Desert? David running to the battlefield to fight a giant with a slingshot? The Israelites marching around Jericho blaring trumpets? Peter stepping out of the boat in the middle of a lake? The response to all of these situations by bystanders at the time must have been, are you kidding me? You are totally insane. I could see Sarah standing in line at the Old Testament version of Mommies R Us and the looks she must have gotten. Tell me the Lord doesn’t have a wicked sense of humor.
Well, here we are some 2,000 years later from the time of Christ’s last breath on this earth, and not much has changed. People who are striving to follow Christ still seem foolish in the world’s eyes. Maybe more so than ever. I often feel like I look foolish telling friends I used to get drunk or high with that I no longer wish to go there, that I have found a new life and a better way in Jesus Christ and that the pain I used to feel that led me to try and drown or smoke away is no longer there, thanks to His love and grace. I have replaced the world’s medicine cabinet for God’s. I look foolish in the world’s eyes when I pray for people I don’t even know or forgive those who have truly tried to harm me. I look foolish when I admit that I don’t have a clue about what my purpose is in this life, but that I do know I can trust in God to lead me to where He wants me to go. For I have come to realize that He wants me to get where He wants me to go, even more than I do. Just trying to be a God fearing man is a huge challenge and leads to many situations on a daily basis where the world considers my attempts to honor God as sheer foolishness. Let alone how many times I profess my love for Christ and then fall flat on my sinful face in words, deeds and actions.
Trying to live a life that doesn’t revolve around the kingdom of self is quite foolish in today’s world of instant gratification and self promotion. The battle of flesh vs. spirit is being waged at a feverish pitch in this world, and I think it is safe to say that flesh has an insurmountable lead at the moment. I can hardly go a day when I don’t feel the overwhelming temptation to give in to my fleshly desires. But when I try to espouse my feelings on why I believe it is better for me to at least attempt to stand strong in the spirit, I look foolish in this world’s eyes. I guess I have come to realize that I would rather be disliked for who I am in Christ, than loved for who I am not. That doesn’t make it any easier. It still hurts. At our core, humans have a need for acceptance and approval. The question I need to continually ask myself is who am I looking to for validation? If I look to this world, I always end up getting used, abused or burnt out as I try to do well in whatever endeavor I am chasing to make others like me, and to earn their approval, and maybe a pat on the head like a little puppy dog. Christ loves me not because of anything I am or could ever be, but because of who He is and all that He has done for me. Even though I am a lost sheep at times, He never stops being my good shepherd. I feel his love so much not because nothing is too big for Him, but because nothing is too small for Him. He gets into the granular areas of my life and sets up shop in the areas of my life that the world looks at as mundane. The granular places are where He breaks in and changes me, from the inside out. When I am in tune with this truth and strong in the word, I am willing to be boldly foolish for the Lord. I am willing to take risks and try things that the world would see as foolish. But in my quest for joy in this world, looking foolish for the Lord is as close as I can come to feeling true meaning and purpose. May I be increasingly eager to take risks for the Lord, and to look foolish in the world’s eyes, for that is where I am most connected to my living God!
Prayer: Father God, we know that being in right relations with you is often to be at odds with this fallen world. While that hurts, and many times is uncomfortable, help us to look foolish if in our steadfast faith it is all for your glory. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray. Amen!
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