Day Nineteen: That He Would Become a Fool to the World
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. 1 Corinthians 3:18-23, ESV
Paul begins his letter to the Corinthians by confronting their carnality. They had followed crafty men and become distracted away from the centrality of Christ. At root to this drifting away is the folly of following after worldly wisdom. Here Paul shows that God has never used those that are proud, powerful, or wise by men’s standards. The Lord’s wisdom is shown in the weak–the antithesis of earthly reverence. God’s power shines brightest through a message that boasts in the sovereign power of a King hung on a cross. Paul reminds us that only a fool would believe this cross is where the power of salvation lies.
Father,
There is no logical reason in our human minds to place the fate of the world at the foot of the cross. In a day where this message is increasingly scandalous to those who are wise by man’s standards, I pray that you would grant my son the grace of foolishness. I pray that you might give him the foolishness to be wise to stand on the truth of the cross of Christ as the wisdom that saves. Amen.
—
Marc Mullins is married to Amber, his wife of almost 10 years. They have 2 children, Ashton and Lacey. He serves as a bi-vocational Student Pastor in Mount Washington and works in product development and blogs Christ-Centered Reflections on Business, Calling, Vocation, Ethics and Life at WorkandKeep.com.
