2 Corinthians 11:16-33
Paul is hilarious sometimes. He gets in these crazy pseudo-sarcastic moods where he goes overboard explaining the awesome ridiculousness of some christian idea. He knows it too! He repeatedly tell readers he is a big fool (fool for Christ, but nonetheless a fool). Paul brags and boasts about all the ways in which he has suffered for his faith in Christ. He was shipwrecked three times! Say what! This guy really believed what he preached. I mean, who would undergo ALL THAT and not be totally convinced of the truth of their convictions? It seems ridiculous to say "Hey, check out how much serving Jesus hurt me." And yet, how else do we serve a God who was executed? We take up our own crosses and follow him. Let us not forget the resurrection of course. There is greater life at the end of the pain, fuller life through the crucible.
God is worshiped and glorified in our weakness. The root of sin is our refusal to hand over our lives to God's will and grace. We keep things for ourselves: be it money, pleasure, control over the future, selfish priorities, or time. God is not glorified when we have control BECAUSE WE ARE FOOLS. We don't really know what is best for us, but God does (by definition). It is less in our human successes that we worship, but when we are persecuted or we display our weaknesses and present all failings and sufferings to God, then, we acknowledge God's power and love. Then we say, "Yes! The Lord our God can do all things, even save us humans from our self-delusions of control." Like Paul, when we worship Christ through handing our lives over, we remain fools, but we become fools FOR CHRIST. Rather than displaying our meaningless successes that won't last next year or even a hundred years, we display the power of God through our rejection of self-reliance. Give it up to God. Do this in two ways: give your lives over to be untied with him, and give it up like applause: WORSHIP!
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