“…the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.”
Romans 4:17b
Things that are not.
Interesting.
I don’t think I would describe myself that way very often. I like to think of myself as something.
But that phrase comes up in I Corinthians as well.
“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. He chose the lowly things of this world and
the despised things – the things that
are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before
him.” I Corinthians 1:27-29
That phrase has always stuck out to me...but God knew that I needed to hear these verses this afternoon. Sometimes I get caught up in thinking that I
need recognition – the pat on the back or the words of praise. Or sometimes it's just not wanting someone to whisper negative comments about me or my work. And then God reminds me…that He is
everything. And if it wasn’t for Him – I
would just be something that is not. J
I was reading in A.W. Tozer’s The Pursuit of God a few weeks
ago and loved this passage:
“Let us examine our burden…First, there is the burden of
pride. The labor of self-love is a heavy
one indeed. Think for yourself whether
much of your sorrow has not arisen from someone speaking slightingly of you. As long as you have set yourself up as a
little god to which you must be loyal there will be those who will delight to
offer affront to your idol. How then can
you hope to have inward peace? The heart’s
fierce effort to protect itself from every slight, to shield its touchy honor
from the bad opinion of friend and enemy, will never let the mind have rest. Continue this fight through the years and the
burden will become intolerable. Yet the
sons of earth are carrying this burden continually, challenging every word
spoken against them, cringing under every criticism, smarting under each
fancied slight, tossing sleepless if another person is preferred before them.
Such a burden as this is not necessary to bear. Jesus calls us to His rest, and meekness is
His method. The meekman cares not at all who is greater than He, for he has long
ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort. He develops toward himself a kindly sense of
humor and learns to say, ‘Oh, so you
have been overlooked? They have placed
someone else before you? They have
whispered that you are pretty small stuff after all? And now you feel hurt because the world is
saying about you the very things you have been saying about yourself? Only yesterday you were telling God that you
were nothing, a mere worm of the dust. Where
is your consistency? Come on, humble
yourself, and cease to care what men think.’
The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of
his own inferiority. Rather, he may be
in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God’s estimate of his own
life. He knows he is as weak and
helpless as God has declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same
time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In
himself, nothing; in God everything.”
Isn’t that always the key? We are nothing. God should be everything.
So, to bring it back around – let’s look at a larger chunk
of the I Corinthians passage:
“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. He chose the lowly things of this world and
the despised things – the things that are not – to nullify the things that are,
so that no one may boast before him. 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. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who
boasts boast in the Lord.’”
I Corinthians 1:27-31
May we always boast in the Lord.
Let’s face it.
Without Him – we’re just not. J
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