We want the things we do and the choices we make to be worth it. The same goes for living the Christian life. Is it worth it to risk living this scary, foolish life Paul’s been talking about?
Open your Bible up to 1 Corinthians 2 and read verses 6-16
6Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 7No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 10But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 13When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. 14But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.
Paul’s back to contrasting the world’s wisdom with God’s wisdom just like he did in chapter 1. Except for this time, he’s putting a magnifying lens up to the wisdom of God so we can see what it means to have God’s wisdom through the Spirit in us.
Take a look at the verses from 1 Corinthians 2:10-13. Paul highlights several things the Spirit does for us. He gives us access to the mind of God. He helps us speak with the wisdom of God. But most importantly, he is with us.
Did you catch that?
He’s with you. No matter what.
Whether you feel alone in a crowd or are having the best day ever, God is with you. When you lose your job or buy a house or switch churches, he’s there. You’re never alone.
Spend a few minutes reflecting on a time when you were aware of the Spirit’s presence with you. What was going on at the time? What did the Spirit do to remind you that He was there?
The benefits of having the Spirit don’t stop there. Read 1 Corinthians 2:15 again. When we tap into the power of the Spirit—when we give into the risky Christian life—the Spirit does the work. If people judge us for what we do or say, their judgment isn’t directed at us. It’s directed at the Spirit.
When have you felt judged for choosing to be others-focused? What difference does it make to know that the judgment you faced was actually directed at the Spirit?
Choosing the backward-to-the-world way of the Spirit is worth it. We have the Spirit of God with us and he does the work. We’re free from judgment from people. We aren’t alone.
While the Christian life isn’t about what we get, it’s nice to know that choosing it is worth putting our own self-interests at risk.
So as you go about your day today, pick something that’s part of your routine— may be getting into your car, or eating a meal, or brushing your teeth—and use that time to pause and remember that the Spirit of God is with you. Say a short prayer to thank God for all the Spirit gives you—his presence, freedom from judgment, and wisdom.
Text your response to the above prompting questions to your group and/or share it as a comment below
I want to lift up this prayer and thank God for the Holy Spirit within me. The Holy Spirit that convicted me of my sinful flesh that foolishly followed the worldly desires. The Holy Spirit that has led me through this sanctification journey and led me to learn more of the fruit of the spirit so that I may be more like Jesus. The Holy Spirit that guides me to situations for me to share the gospel and just witness to God’s great work. I thank God continuously for the Holy Spirit because I shall continue to be led by it as I continue to be deep rooted in Christ’s truth. Furthermore, to know that any hate is only directed at the Spirit not at us. Jesus says in John 15:18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” It just makes me want to witness so much more to reveal the real truth and rebuke that hate. Jesus goes on to say in John 15:26-27 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.”
Today’s reading reminded me of one of my favorite verses- Joshua 1:9, which reminds us that God “is with us wherever we go”. The time when I felt His presence the most was when my dad was diagnosed with cancer. It was such a challenging time for my family, yet I felt so much of God’s love and presence. I recall being in and out of the hospital and feeling so drained, yet I had such a great sense of His presence. He was with me and my family. I am so grateful for all the love and prayers from our friends and church community during that time.
I feel like there were many moments this year when I was aware of God’s presence with me. For the past few months, I was anxious and fearful of the end of my high school years and the beginning of my journey through young adulthood. Particularly, in August, I was worried about starting fall semester at a new school where I knew almost no one at all. I also feared falling out of my faith and not being able to connect to a Christian community in college due to temptations and my part-time job. Oddly enough, I woke up on my first day of college feeling calm and serene instead of the panic that clouded over me the past week. As it turns out, my worries were pretty much for nothing, since I fatefully ran into an InterVarsity leader on my way to my second class, who invited me to join the union in weekly prayer nights and Bible studies which I have been attending for the past 3 weeks. I strongly believe that God was speaking through my IV leader to assure me that He is and will always be beside me as I navigate through unfamiliar grounds and unfamiliar crowds in my college years. Aside from feeling and seeking God’s presence in times of uncertainty and stress, I also find myself turning to God in times of celebration, excitement, and joy, giving thanks for all the experiences and opportunities that He has graciously offered to me. It will always be a comfort and relief to be reminded that God is on my side, watching over me as I grow physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I am forever grateful for God’s boundless love/grace and endless blessings.