The Great Men

  The Chief Men of this Age Are Being Discarded

"Yet wisdom are we speaking among the mature, yet a wisdom not of this eon (age), neither of the chief men of this eon (age), who are being discarded" (I Corinthians 2:6).

The way the world operates, the fashion of   this world is passing away (I Corinthians 7:31), and along with it, all of the world’s wealth, wisdom and nobility. You won't find any discussion on this topic on TV think ins or at "Positive Thinking" seminars! In fact, it  gets even more dramatic: The people you thought had everything and were enjoying total favour, the chief men of this eon, are specifically being discarded by God.

In discarding prominent ones, God has chosen instead from among the weak, ignoble and contemptible those whom He will use to display His wisdom and glory. You see those who are mighty today have nothing really to boast of as, if they only knew it, their earthly prominence today is clear indication that they are about to be left out of the picture:: You and I have nothing to boast of either as we come in under that second Label of being weak or ignoble or contemptible: God’s point in it all is the complete removal of human boasting (I Corinthians 1:26-29). Those who come to this realisation will welcome the crucifixion of the flesh, the Ego and the pride of life. good riddance to them!

As we look at those around us in 2017, those who have the appearance of greatness, respectability and honour, remember that they are in the process of being discarded. When the waste lorry is coming on Friday I do a tour of the rooms of the house the night before, and gather all the bits and pieces that are to be discarded. They are all gathered together in the back room, ready to be got rid of. Hard to imagine as we look around at people of immense power and wealth and influence that in reality many of them are being readied for the waste lorries: Truly it's "not by might nor by power" but by His Spirit!

Meanwhile, those of us who are called among the feeble, despicable and detestable are being masterfully prepared to be the future rulers of the universe.  Masterfully? Are you sure of that? Does God's Word specifically say that as I feel at times a total failure"

You say: "Well, it does not look or feel like that: Everything I try to do fails: Those who used to go along with me think I'm extreme or weird or too focussed on God: My children pay little attention to me: Everyone else has big houses and big cars and  holidays and all the good things in life: Sure does not look as if I'm being prepared for greatness  

All I can say is, read the verse again: Are you so weak at times you feel all the glory is gone forever and you can do nothing about it? Do you feel so low in certain company (ignoble)? Do people hold you in contempt? Just can't stand you for no apparent reason? If so all is well! You are in God's pre school! But though you are today in the kindergarten remember you are the son of a king and destined to co-reign, not in this patch of soil, but in the hereafter: 

Keep your nose to the grind and your eye on the prize. It will be well worth it all when these few days here on earth are over: This life down here is an enigma: something that appears the exact opposite of what it really is: God's ways are totally and completely different to ours: His ways are definitely not our ways: He has been known to keep His own son and  His choice apostles locked up in carpentry sheds or Roman prisons for 90% of their time on earth: Crazy to our way of thinking: To God it was masterful preparation!  His thoughts are Holy, set apart, absolutely 180 degrees different ......