Thinking too highly of ourselves is problematic. It can lead to pride, pride that is based on a house of cards. When that house falls, it can be catastrophic. Most of us were not born with a silver spoon in our mouth. We do not come from royalty. We are common, working-class people.
Since we are not of noble birth, we have no reason to think of ourselves as better than others. It is a fine line between being confident in our abilities and being prideful. The only way we can walk that fine line is to remember that it is by God’s grace that we have our abilities.
The Apostle Paul reminds the church in Corinth, and us, that is God who has chosen us and is working through us. It is in God that we should boast. We are to give him the credit for our abilities. We should thank him for blessing us with them. And we should be confident in God rather than ourselves.
When Paul says God has chosen the foolish to shame the wise, it does not mean that we will see that in this lifetime. Paul is referring to Jesus’ return, when the wise of this world who did not believe in Jesus will be put to shame. For anyone who believes in Jesus, who decides to follow Him, will be proven to be wise. Though being weak and despised in this world, perhaps being called foolish for their belief, they will be given a crown of glory. Therefore, hold on to your faith, be humble before God, and thank him for your blessings.
I pray we all give up our pridefulness. I pray we humble ourselves before God. I pray each one of us praise God for his wonderful grace and thank him for blessing us with our abilities. Give up pride. Humble yourself before God. Praise God for his grace. Thank God for his blessings.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 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 abolish things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God.
Marty Pressey 