1 Corinthians 4:10 –
Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed.
This is a great chapter in relationships with our leaders and others. I like this verse because it tends to focus on our faith and how it’s not “normal” to most in this world. Paul went through so much more persecution in his day for following Christ than we may imagine today. He was jailed and beaten for preaching the Gospel, where today in the USA we just are considered delusional by most. Our faith is not under persecution, but just dismissed by many because of science.
Consider the persecution of the day was coming from the Jewish faith whose foundation was destroyed by the Gospel. But as I say this brothers and sisters in Christ are in jails and are facing persecution in Muslim countries. Ironically again the persecution is from followers of God who reject their own teachings and the teachings of Jesus. I often wonder if many of us think these missionaries who get persecuted today are considered “fools”?
This chapter has many great insights as to how we view our leaders and maintain our focus on God and not the leaders. I really like verse 20 that states, “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.” I have, throughout my walk, questioned God and just figured this was all great teachings, but more of a guide to life and not learning about a living God. It is normal to question ones “sanity” that there is this unseen, omnipresent, omniscient God who is active in our day to day lives. God does say test Him, but we also need to not go overboard every time we are questioning. Remember, many times God gets “quiet” to cause us to dig deeper to understand Him better, so don’t expect to be able to test all the time.
The first few times I read Paul’s writings I did not “get into” them. Recently, every chapter I read is almost all highlighted and marked up. As you read the Bible, don’t be surprised you experience the same thing. You’ll read something that doesn’t seem to apply one year and as you grow and “dig” the next time you look at it the light bulb comes on. Don’t be surprised when something you enlightening you read last year reads different this year. All that means is you are growing! So keep growing!!