The beginning of 1 Corinthians has a strong focus on the gospel, or mystery of Christ, and how the Lord moves in hearts to reveal the truth. I encourage you to read the first four chapters, but I am going to attempt to share some of my basic thoughts.
First though, a story. At the beginning of my senior year of high school, my class took a mission trip to Toronto, Canada. I went with high ambitions of what the Lord was going to do through me, how I was going to "accomplish things" for God. I even remember saying to myself, if not to others as well, that I was going to walk up to a prostitute and share the love of God with her. How naive I was. Often I am have very optimistic goals, and many in my life have been gracious to not crush them - even while knowing they are perhaps too ambitious.
One night in Toronto a group of us, students and teachers, were walking through a park. Across the street we spotted a prostitute waiting on the street, and all I could do was cry. I was at a loss - experiencing some of the compassion of the Lord for this woman while having no words to say to anyone.
Another day we had to team up and go into the business district for street evangelism. I seriously believe that was on of the hardest things I have ever had to do. One of my classmates, Danny, and I walked around to different people, ditching the survey, and just trying to talk with people about the Lord. I specifically remember a conversation with a man, perhaps in his 30's, who turned on us with questions as to how 18-year-old kids knew what they believed, etc. and an encounter with a lady working at a hot dog or gyro stand. I was overwhelmed, discouraged, and exhausted.
Later that trip the Lord allowed me and some classmates to pray with a man in a nursing home, Edgar I believe, who wanted to become a child of God. Even in that instance, I misunderstood and told him I couldn't pray for him. Can you even imagine? Ha. The Lord's grace is so sufficient.
I remember three particular times of tears during that trip, the first when catching sight of the prostitute, the second with Edgar, and the third during a time of late-night, rooftop worship - being overcome with my inability and the Lord's goodness. I cannot save people. It is the power of the cross, the Lord's kindness, that brings us to repentance.
How are we to share the good news with people? I still often struggle with feeling like I am incapable, too young, too unable to relate, etc. The thing to remember though is that we cannot make the change in other people. It's both humbling and kinda frustrating at the same time. In reality though, it's great that changing hearts does not fall to our responsibility. God is the best one for the job.
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 reads, "For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
Instead of seeking to know everything and get to the point where we don't need to depend, instead perhaps we should be admitting our weakness, our foolishness, our inability - on the flip side, boasting in the Lord. God often chooses to use those who the world thinks are not strong, wise, or noble. We can see this through Him using kids and teenagers to move in hearts. We can see this through God using us.
We are weak. We don't have it all together. We have needs. We desperately need to depend on God, although we are pretty good at looking to ourselves. My memories are a good reminder to me of my need for the Lord and my inability to change people in my strength or even my desires.
Taking this to heart as I look to the future, I am excited about seeing the Lord move in the lives of students at my school. I am filled with awe at the possibilities and humbled by the reminder that I can't change anyone. I want to surrender to the Lord, daily, and ask Him to speak through me - the weak, the foolish, the hopeful.
"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1:18).
No comments:
Post a Comment