Upside Down

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

-1 Corinthians 1.27-29

What do we have to boast about? Nothing we have accomplished or achieved is due to our own strength. We didn't make it possible to be smart, or to have certain gifts and skills. If we could handle everything ourselves, we wouldn't need God, who is the source of our lives.

God has an upside down way of thinking. Or, come to think of it, God turns our way of thinking upside down with truth and love. We need to go against our own impulses to be the best, the most powerful, the smartest, the most loved, and the last word. We need to think about how Jesus would act, and follow suit. Think in terms of how at the end of all things, the last will be first and the first will be last (Matthew 19.30).

When you think about how God uses the weak, it changes the way you view your life. We, as a culture, value success. If we are prosperous and successful in our business or career, we are highly valued and sought after in society. People don't rush to meet and greet a homeless person, or someone who cannot find a job. But these are the people Jesus would rush to. 
See? Upside down.

"God doesn't need justification. He certainly doesn't need us. God doesn't need anything. Yet, it doesn't make us superfluous or unimportant, the fact that God doesn't need us," I rushed on, "Actually, quite the opposite. It's because He loves us in spite of not needing us that makes His love so, well, awesome.... in the original sense of the term." -Carolyn Weber