For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise….
— 1 Corinthians 1:26,27

If you feel that you just aren’t smart enough to be used by God, then today’s Sparkling Gem is written just for you! Get ready, because you’re about to be abundantly blessed when you see exactly whom God delights in choosing and using to do mighty things in His name! In First Corinthians 1:27, the apostle Paul writes, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.…”

The word “foolish” is from the Greek word moraino. It depicts someone who is dull, dense, or slow. It was used in New Testament times to portray a person who was stupid or foolish — hence, a fool. It could also picture a person who is mentally ill or mentally deranged. The word moraino was used derogatorily to make fun of people or to put them down for being intellectually inferior. It comes from the same word from which we get the word moron. My thesaurus gives these other synonyms for a “moron”: idiot, imbecile, halfwit, numskull, dimwit, dunce, blockhead, dope, ignoramus, lamebrain, jerk, or twerp!

*[If you started reading this from your email, begin reading here.]

bookmark2The truth is, no one is an idiot in God’s view. But the world often has a scathing opinion and view of people whom God chooses. It is simply a fact that the world regularly ridicules us as being nitwits, lamebrains, and idiots. This is precisely the way the word moraino was used in Paul’s time, depicting people whom the world scorned, made fun of, and treated with contempt.

Because much of the Early Church was comprised of servants and slaves, most of the people in the local congregations were very uneducated, uncultured, clumsy, crude, awkward, and unpolished. It wasn’t that they were stupid. They had simply never been exposed to or taught about manners, culture, and refined behavior. Reared and treated as servants since birth, they’d never had a need to know these skills. As a result, it is a historical fact that the vast majority of the Early Church was uncultured.

Although there was a logical reason why many of the early believers were so uncultured, this lack of polish made them look stupid in the world’s eyes. In fact, at first the Roman Empire looked upon Christianity as the religion of stupid, poor people because it grew so rapidly among the lower slave classes.

Yet Paul says, “…God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise…” (1 Corin-thians 1:27). The word “confound” is the Greek word kataishuno. It means to put to shame, to embarrass, to confuse, to frustrate, or to baffle. The word “wise” is the word sophos, referring to those who are naturally brilliant, intellectually sharp, or especially enlightened. Paul is saying that God calls people whom the world considers morons in order to put to shame, embarrass, confuse, frustrate, and baffle those who think they’re so smart!

Taking all these Greek words into consideration, an interpretive translation of First Corinthians 1:26,27 could read:

“God selected people who are idiots in the world’s view; the world sees them as imbeciles, jerks, real twerps. Yet God is using them to utterly confound those who seem smart in the world’s eyes.”

If anyone has ever called you an idiot — if you’ve ever been called a stupid imbecile, a jerk, or a twerp — it’s time for you to rejoice! This makes you a candidate! You are exactly the kind of person God wants to use!

So don’t let anyone put you down or make you feel badly about yourself. A lack of education, culture, or polish has never stopped God from using people who have a willing heart. If your heart is right and you are willing for God to use you, you are the very one He is seeking right now! Just say, “Lord, here I am! I’m ready to be used!”

sparking gems from the greek

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I thank You for choosing to use people like me! I realize that I may not have the education, skills, culture, or high-level training that others may possess, but I do have a heart to be used by You. I want You to take me and use me for Your work in this earth. Today I surrender to You anew, asking You to take me and to use me mightily in this life!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

sparking gems from the greek

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am exactly the kind of person God wants to use! My heart is right; my attitude is willing; and I deeply desire for God to use me in a special way in this life. I am willing to learn and ready to be corrected. I want God to shape me to become a mighty instrument in His hands. Because of my attitude and willing heart, God is going to use me mightily to further His Kingdom on this earth!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

sparking gems from the greek

Questions to Answer

1. Have you accepted God’s call on your life?

2. If yes, what do you believe He has called you to do? What do you know about the special, unique plan He has for you that He doesn’t have for anyone else?

3. If you haven’t accepted your unique calling yet, what is stopping you today from saying yes to the Lord and stepping into the glorious future He has planned for your life?