1 Corinthians 2:1-5
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (NKJV)
Looking Good
As Jennie got up and spoke, I was enthralled. I was also intimidated. Jennie was one of the teachers in the women's ministry at the church I attended. So was I. And Jennie was, well, amazing. She spoke with enthusiasm and boldness. Her scriptural insights were outstanding. She used a whiteboard, showed a clip from a DVD, and had excellent handouts. Everything fit perfectly with her main point. In essence, her presentation was flawless. We were all amazed and impressed.Feeling Inadequate
But as I sat there, I couldn't help but think of the teaching I would be presenting next week. Would I have a clip from a DVD? Probably not. How about an amazing handout? If I did, people would think I was copying Jennie—and they would be right! Next to Jennie, I felt inadequate as a teacher.It wasn't wrong for Jennie to give an excellent presentation. She used her gifts to glorify God. But there was something wrong with my response. It revealed the heart of a person who wanted to be noticed. That, unfortunately, is human nature. It is also human nature to focus on the people up front, rather than God.
Focusing on God
Paul recognized this tendency in people, and intentionally chose to "tone things down." He didn't focus on excellent speech or wisdom. He didn't try to "wow" the crowd. He simply presented the truth of the gospel without any bells and whistles. He did this so that their faith would not be in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God.This doesn't mean we should never do anything flashy, but it's important to examine the motives of our hearts. Everything should be done with an attitude of submission to the Lord, and a desire to shine the spotlight on him, rather than ourselves.
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Rebecca Livermore is a freelance writer, speaker and guest contributor for About.com. Her passion is helping people grow in Christ. She is the author of the weekly devotional column Relevant Reflections on www.studylight.org and is a part-time staff writer for Memorize Truth (www.memorizetruth.com). For more information visit Rebecca's Bio Page.
