Number 6
11-April-2002
Near
the end of a long discussion on boasting
that runs for more than two chapters beginning in II Corinthians 10 and ending
at II Corinthians 12:13, Paul says, “But
[God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made
perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my
weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in
hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am
strong.” (II Corinthians 12:9-10, NIV)
As I have contemplated what I am called to do as a Christian, I have journeyed through some interesting territory. At the outset it seemed that I should use every method at my disposal to decry wrong beliefs and make people understand the Truth of the Gospel. As a thinking man concerned with things of God I felt it incumbent upon me to use what I perceived as my personal strengths, talents, and skills to convince others of the Truth. My Christian upbringing has certainly left me with the impression that this is the right thing to do, and to some extent I still agree. It seems clear that God wants us to use (invest) our talents and other resources. One has only to read the parable in Matthew 25:14-30 to see evidence of this.
14“Again,
it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted
his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents,
and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his
journey. 16The
man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and
gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a
hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19“After
a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with
them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other
five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have
gained five more.’
21“His
master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful
with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your
master’s happiness!’
22“The
man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me
with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’
23“His
master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful
with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your
master’s happiness!’
24“Then
the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew
that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where
you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the
ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26“His
master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I
have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well
then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I
returned I would have received it back with interest.
28“‘Take
the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For
everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does
not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness,
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew
25:14-30, NIV)
The struggle I now face, however is that such an approach can be a slippery slope. It can drive one to worrying about making the outcome happen. It can also open the door to selfish pride. There is a risk that carefully constructed arguments and the application of “personal” resources can come from a desire to appear spiritual or to be “in the limelight.” This is a particular temptation for me personally. I like attention. I like to be perceived as deeply spiritual. I like to be seen as a leader.
The Christian’s mission however, is not about “me”; it’s about Him. The point is not to bring glory to self. The point is to glorify God. This is what Paul reiterates throughout the letters to the Corinthians. References abound that speak of God using the weak things as His preferred implements in the world. Pride has no place in the Christian life. We are not called to be super-Christians. We are called to follow Christ. A great old hymn puts it well: “Just a closer walk with thee, grant it Jesus is my plea. Daily walking close to thee, let it be dear Lord, let it be.”
The more we make Christ the center of all we do, the less concerned we become about how we look in doing it. It is then that God truly begins to use us; for His glory, not for ours. God cares not at all for our glory among people. He promises us glory and reward in heaven. On the earth, He asks us to glorify Him. Our only job is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 22:40 that all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments—note that He did not call them suggestions.
Sometimes it seems that we can have little, if any, effect on the world. We often feel that we could never convince anyone to become a Christian. We may think that we do not have the education, understanding, communication skills, or spiritual stature to effectively argue with those who deny the deity of Christ, the fact of the resurrection, or the veracity of the Scriptures. We are very likely right! Fortunately, we do not require such things.
“When
I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I
proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while
I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness
and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with
wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so
that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” (I
Corinthians 2:1-5, NIV)
We must glory in our weakness and rely upon the limitless power of the Holy Spirit to convince others of the Truth. It is the Holy Spirit who draws people to God. It is the Holy Spirit who changes hearts and lives. Like Paul, we should endeavor to rely solely upon God.