Inferior Wisdom

“When I came to you brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God…I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.” 1 Co. 2:1-5.

As many of you know I facilitate Griefshare at our church. This group is where grieving and hurting people gather together in hopes of comfort and healing. It is a group of weary travelers looking for the answer to navigate through the waters of heartbreak. This particular session is rough as the majority of the people in our group are parents who have lost a child.

Last night was a rough night in our group as the heaviness of broken heartedness seemed to drape over the entire room. Upon arriving home, I was wrestling with the fear that I couldn’t be an effective teacher with this group since my losses were a sibling, father and father-in-law. I was fearful that I would come across with a lack of credibility and authenticity due to a lack of true understanding. Just as God promises, His word will lead and guide us through the waters of life which is what occurred this morning.

In my ‘Jesus time’ He lifted this beautiful passage which brought freedom to my fears and stillness to my trembling. I associated 'superior wisdom' to the wisdom I could only obtain through losing a child. He assured me through this passage that any confidence we can have in our testimony is in the confidence of the power of the Holy Spirit instead of our circumstances and experiences. Our message to everyone that testifies to the love and heart of God will be communicated if we will trust in the power of the Holy Spirit instead of ourselves. The removal of one’s self agenda, self focus and self confidence will ensure that the flow of the Holy Spirit can power through our words directly into the hearts of others.

‘Now if the ministry that brought death…came with glory…will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious…Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.’ 2 Cor. 3:7, 8, 17.