Encouragement To The Weak

    In an effort, perhaps, to temper the fiery message of my previous post, I thought I might take a few minutes before work to write some words of encouragement, and hopefully a few biblical thoughts that might aid you through the harder days. 
   In my recent Bible studies, God has revealed a comforting, and humbling, truth to me through one of my truly favorite passages, 1st Corinthians 1:26-29.

    ^"For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 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, 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, so that no man may boast before God." 


  Ah, this passage has been a great comfort to one such as me through the years, and as years go by, God reveals more and more truth from it. I find it a double-edged sword: both comfort, to encourage the weak, and humbling, to break down pride. 
   In this passage, Paul essentially says this (and yes, I paraphrase): God uses small creatures. God doesn't call to use the great, or powerful, or mighty ones. He doesn't call geniuses, or men of great power and strength, at least, not very often. And He certainly rarely calls such men to do His great works. God calls the small ones. The weak ones. The foolish ones. Those are the ones He uses to most glorify Himself. 
   Brothers and sisters, I am not a wise man. God knows that to be true, I've made enough mistakes, and not small ones, to earn that title. And those who know me, know I am not a great, or strong, or powerful person. I am a small, weak man who hardly stands out as anything particularly special. If anything, slightly less. 
    But I take great comfort in the fact that in spite of these things, God still chooses to love me, continually. And not only that, but that He called me to do His work. He MADE me this way. Then, He called me to glorify Himself in this way. 
   We do not have to be strong, or wise, as the world deems it, to be the most glorifying, and faithful, servants of God. If anything, God seems to favor using the smallest, weakest vessels He can find, to do His greatest works, to "demonstrate His power through us." So that no one can boast. 
   Friends, we are not great, or strong, or wise. But God uses us to shame the greatest, wisest, and strongest men and women of all the ages, for when He demonstrates His power and glory through such weakling little lambs, they outshine the mightiest of this world's glories, and defeat the greatest of Hell's powers. 
   If you have struggles with self-worth, or not feeling good enough, great enough, or special enough, I offer you this: God prefers to use such as you, to turn the world upside down. God prefers to select the most broken people to do His most glorious works. Because then, it is not your greatness to be seen, but God's greatness through you. 
   Also, bear in mind, as a word of exhortation, that as such, take care in moments of pride, not to think yourself anything great, handsome, powerful or noble. For God humbles these things, with the very weak and foolish things listed above (v. 27). God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Stay foolish. Stay weak. Be the little creature that God will use to do big things. "So that no man be boast before God." 


   "We go out into this world as lambs, with the faces of lions. Our God mocks all the powers of Earth and Hell, through filthy little lambs, because His filthy little lambs defeat the great and raging hosts of wolves." -Paul Washer