Focus Verses (1st Corinthians 1:26-31)
Brothers and sisters in Christ, are you struggling with questions and feelings of doubt? Are there voices in the back of your mind telling you that you are not smart enough, strong enough, established enough to do the work you know deep down you have been called by the Holy Spirit to do?
I believe many, if not all of us, wrestle with these doubts from time to time if not daily, but take heart, the LORD, in His infinite wisdom, gave us His Word to reassure us that we indeed are called and chosen. 26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 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. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[a] When my eyes were first opened to these words, I was in a deep depression. I was drowning in debt and in chronic pain from my Cerebral Palsy. I was just about bed bound and lost everything I defined as success with my health, wealth, strength, and intellect. I felt like a complete and absolute failure. The night prior to my encounter with the Holy spirit, a team of prayer warriors had prayed over me that the strong hold and lies of the enemy would be broken. The next night, I continued business as usual, distracting myself with entertainment and medical marijuana, trying to just get to the point where I could go back to sleep and not feel the pain I was in. After wallowing for an hour or so, I decided to try and put a smile on my face and spend time with my family when I heard a voice gently say, “Why don't you spend some time with me instead?” Before I knew it, I was led to 1st Corinthians 1:26-31 and as I read the words, tears filled my eyes. 26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. I was definitely not any of those I thought as I continued, 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. My eyes continued to stream with tears. As I read these words, it felt as if He was describing me: chosen by the God of the universe. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are. At this point I was weeping as I finished the rest of the verses 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[a] I heard the same gentle voice that led me to this verse say with authority and love: I CHOSE YOU.
My brothers and sisters, if you are not important by the standards of this world God chose you. If you are foolish, weak, lowly, and despised by the world, God chose you. I urge you to remember this: whenever the enemy attacks you, remember that God chose you to nullify and shame the standards the enemy has set and to rejoice that Christ is everything that you are not and has become that for us.
Dakota Swinton