Recently I have started reading through 1 Corinthians and found one passage jumped out at me as far as thinking about my identity. When I
was in college I came in contact with a guy that was seemingly better than me
at everything, and I mean everything. He was better at sports, speaking,
reading, interacting with people,… you name it he did it and better than me.
I felt I needed be validated, to find something I could be known for or best
at. I found myself trying to even find just one area of my life in which I
could be better than him to support my existence. I never did.
However, by God’s grace I did find something else out. My
purpose in life is not to be the best or most well known person at something.
My personhood, identity, and reason for existence are not wrapped up in my
accomplishments. They will fail me. There will always be someone better than
me. I am not on this planet to accomplish or be known for some grand thing.
Rather, I am here for another and His exaltation. It was a humbling
experience. From our very earliest age we are encourage to somewhat think of
ourselves as great and the centers of our universe and it hurts to find out that
simply is not true to how God made His world. Yet in this we can actually begin
to find our truest hope, meaning, identity, and purpose.
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 states,
26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were
not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but
God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has
chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and
the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that
are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may
boast before God. 30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became
to us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 so
that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
To state it bluntly, Paul is saying, most of you are not too
bright, rather weak, nobodies. Not exactly an ego boost. However, from this we
actually see the blessing of God choosing us in our lowliness to come to Him.
Verses 29-31 go on in the passage to show us that God has intentionally chosen
us as the lowly that we might be humble before Him and instead find our
identity in Christ and His work that He ultimately be praised.
Rather than seeking to build ourselves up then, our job is
to recognize our lowliness and build Christ up. This gives us great hope! Our
abilities will degrade with age (Ecclesiastes 12:1-5). Our looks will fade over time
(Proverbs 31:30). The next generation will overtake us in knowledge. If our hope and identity are in these things our purpose for existence will ultimately
come to nothing. However, if our purpose is based in the eternal Christ than we
can have joy as our lives fade like the grass of the field (1 Peter 1:24) knowing
that ultimately we are here for Him and can be satisfied in how He chooses to
use us on a daily basis. “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).
“We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done”
(Luke 17:10). He has always been great. I have always been nothing in comparison
to Him. I simply get the privilege of recognizing this truth more and more over
time and learning to rest all the more in Who He is and His great love toward
me rather than my “accomplishments.”
“But we have this treasure in
earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God
and not from ourselves” – 2 Corinthians 4:7
“And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather
boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” – 2
Corinthians 12:9
May God continue to grow each of us in humility that He
might be seen as greater by us and those around us!
Phil Smith
