Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in his presence. It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption— in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)
Spiritual wisdom is entirely a gift from God, and God will give this gift to you freely if you humble yourself before him. Think about the time when you first started following Christ. The first spiritual insight God gave you was the knowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. God gave this insight to you when you were entirely lost in darkness and sin. You brought nothing to the table but began your spiritual journey from a position of complete spiritual poverty. This is what Jesus meant when he began his great Sermon on the Mount with the first beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” All of us began our spiritual journey when we came to God as beggars. Everyone began at the same starting point.
God arranges things this way because God hates pride. You are prideful when you take credit or praise for yourself that belongs to God. You are humble when you give all praise to God. The spiritual principle expressed here is simple: pride gets in the way; humility opens the way. And you don’t have to wait for something good to happen to give praise to God. God is always worthy of your praise. Therefore, to keep a spiritual channel of wisdom open, you should daily humble yourself before God and offer him praise!
Prayer:
Lord God, I come before you as a beggar, bringing nothing to the table. I acknowledge that everything good that I have has come from your hand, for you are my daily provider. Furthermore, I can keep nothing for myself unless it is your will, for nothing I have was self-derived. Teach me not to hold on too tightly to the things of this world. Thank you for opening my mind to your wisdom so that I can see both myself and this world from your perspective. Let me grow in this wisdom continually, as I humble myself each day before you and offer you praise. So let pride be far from me. Root out all prideful thoughts from my mind and let every thought be obedient to your good will and purpose. Let me walk with you continually praising you for the wisdom you provide.