Daily Reading: 6-20-16
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
There is a phrase that I hear every now and then that really makes me stop and think. The phrase is, “(So and so) is a self-made individual.” Self-made or having become successful by one’s own efforts. Can that be a true statement about anyone if we line it up with the evidence of creation and the Lord’s involvement as the Authority of heaven and earth?
Our lives, as humans, are temporary and fragile apart from the work of God’s Spirit. We can have one area of our lives flourishing while another area is tumbling downward faster than we can grab it. For example, perhaps we are climbing the vocational ladder of success at an exponential rate, but the tapestry of our most personal relationships is unraveling. We have sacrificed one for the other. Neither the practice of our religious traditions, nor the advancement of our human intellect can bring the Wisdom for wholeness to our lives.
We need to be God-made individuals in order to be whole and eternally successful. The Spirit of God is the One who brings wholeness to our lives. Even though the very concept can seem foolish, we can know true success when we are being lead by the Spirit of Christ. Wholeness comes through the work of the cross; we follow the sacrificial Christ and we seek His Kingdom first. That means we do not seek after power and authority through the natural paths of the world. Instead, we sacrificially offer ourselves to loving others as God brings a greater measure of wholeness to our lives. It seems backwards, but it is living life forward toward eternity. Our lives were created to be lived this way, so wholeness is available if we are willing to be God-made.