Behind the Scenes #4—Humbling Choices

Consider that God did not call many wise according to human standards, nor strong, nor aristocratic; but God has mostly chosen the foolish, weak, base and despised people of the world … so that none may boast before God. 1 Corinthians 1:26–29

Humility is essential to worship. And honesty is essential to humility. So how do we stay honest with ourselves so we’re able to engage with God? One way to maintain the honesty that’s necessary to humility is to look carefully at how God selects his worshippers; or more importantly, at how he does NOT choose us. Even though there all kinds of people joyfully experiencing the grace of God now—and will do so in the age to come—most of us have come from a place we should not be proud of. Down through the centuries the Church became populated with those who once were “sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers.” It’s just as humbling to confess that most of us were not of the .0015% of the world’s population who were Olympic athletes in 2016. And, we must admit, God did not open our hearts to the message about a  crucified and resurrected savior because we were the “sharpest knives in the drawer” intellectually. As we honestly consider who we are not, we will refrain from boasting in ourselves; rather we’ll gratefully celebrate the God who graciously made himself so valuable to us.

Sovereign Lord, keep me following in the footsteps of Abraham, Jacob, Ruth, David, Peter, Lydia and Paul, whom you lifted from sin and obscurity into your glorious presence. Amen.