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When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written,‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,nor the human heart conceived,what God has prepared for those who love him’— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are discerned spiritually. Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny. For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:1-16)
Do you suppose the current state of the Church has something to do with few people sharing their faith any more? Was it commonplace for you to hear others in years past to talk about their faith? Or, did we leave that to the professionals; i.e. the pastors, Sunday school teachers, missionaries, etc? Was the Christian faith something you heard shared in the church parking lot prior or after a church meeting? I know now that I'm meddling; but here's the thing; our society is seriously lacking many things. Moral direction, compassion, and a list so long we won't mention it here, but what we do know is that if more of us would make an effort to share in Who we believe and what we believe we might make a positive impact on the lives of others. It's not easy as Paul writes above that when he first started sharing his faith he did so "in fear and in much trembling." But it can be as easy as saying something like, "Did I learn something this past Sunday I didn't now before!" And, if they ask what was that? "Well, it was...."
At the core of this passage is the need to focus on being spiritual and seeking to think and act like Jesus. Those bracelets and other items of some time ago, WWJD?, really did help ask people, What Would Jesus Do? And decisions and other things could be made in great ways knowing we sought to think and be like Jesus. And that's how Paul ends this passage, "But we have the mind of Christ." Indeed we do.
PRAYER: Loving God, speak to me and grant me strength and boldness to lovingly share that which has blessed my life with those who You lead me to. I want to be a blessing. And I pray this in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
Here is the link to today's video, and it was recorded "off the cuff" prior to my writing this devotional. Please share it with those who might need a blessing!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR-RDnvmp_Q
