Don’t look at me

1 Corinthians 1:17-18 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

What gets you up every morning? Is it the required duties of the day, or the expectancy of life for the day? I mean we all have our tasks list for each day that may tug us out of bed, but there is more to life in that awakening. People ask me why I get out of bed so early each day; it is the expectation of meeting God each and every day. It is in that expectancy that I find life; it is in that expectancy that I find more than a task list, it is where I find God. Do you ever wonder why you have heard the Bible called the Living Word? The wonder will be erased once the Holy Spirit opens it up to you in that way. Sitting down with God’s Word and being shown exactly what you were looking for is a gift from God for that day. How could you not arise out of bed early to look for the gift from God like a kid does at Christmas?

The apostle Paul is writing here addressing division in the church. The people were murmuring about who they followed (Paul, Cephas, & Apollos); they were dividing the church arguing their preacher was the best. Paul saw how they were elevating their preachers and themselves, and how Christ was taking a back seat to their pride. 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? My testimony before Christ was one rooted in pride; pride is the root of all sin even as far back as when Satan was cast out of heaven because he wanted to be like God. Paul was showing them their sin in their arguing who was best; Paul was showing them that only Christ and the good news that he brought should be the focus. It is not about you, it is all about Him.

Once you realize how little you are and how big He is; how lost you are without Him; your heart will begin to stir and your relationship with your Lord and Savior will begin to grow. There is nothing special about any pastor out there that does anything above delivering the Gospel. No anointing, no “word from God,” no prophecy, no “thing” will every surpass what Christ did on the Cross for all eternity. I am a simple lay pastor, an uneducated country boy that graduated high school on straight D’s, I can never play the scholarly card. That makes me nothing special, but makes anything he does through me extraordinary. He can and will do the exact thing for you. All you must do is to pursue him daily through prayer and his Living Word that he has given you.