The Cult of the Expert
Why God Uses the Foolish, Weak and Base Things of the World
From an early age, our parents and teachers try to identify what our interests, strengths and talents are, so they can nurture those and guide us onto a path of life-long learning and employment. We go to school, we go to college and "major" in a particular field. If we have the time and resources, we get even more degrees in a specific subject. When we get out of school, we get jobs. And throughout our careers, we continue to learn and adapt to changes in technology, consumer tastes, etc. We specialize in one aspect of society or another. All the while, we build ourselves up as experts — authorities on certain subjects — so we have a seat at the table when big, important decisions are made in society.
This is the American way. This is corporate life. This is how the world operates.
The more you know — the more experience you have — the more you're paid and the more you're paid attention to.
But God's kingdom is different. God's kingdom is the opposite. In God's kingdom, our expertise can actually be a deterrent to God’s blessing.
Let’s look at Scripture…
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption — that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 NKJV
Here we see that not many wise, mighty or noble people are called. But God choses foolish, weak and base people to put them to shame. Why? So that no one gets the glory, except God.
Throughout the Bible, God choses weak and flawed individuals to carry out His plan of redemption. Not only that, but He asks these weak, flawed people to do crazy things that the world thinks is foolish or base.
Look at Moses… God calls him to go to Pharaoh and tell him to free the Jewish people from slavery. Moses is like, "No, I stutter. I can't speak well. Use someone else." God said no. He chose to use someone who couldn't speak well to be His spokesperson. It's ironic. Doesn't seem like a wise choice. Doesn't seem like a wise or sophisticated strategy for freeing the Israelites. I would think that maybe raising up an army to defeat the Egyptians and deliver the slaves would be a better strategy. But God chose a flawed person and a foolish strategy to accomplish a great thing. Why? So that God gets the glory. Was it Moses who changed his staff into a snake? Was it Moses who sent the plagues? Was it Moses who parted the Red Sea? No, it was God. Moses simply obeyed what God told him to do — and God gets the glory for the emancipation of the Jews.
Look at Noah… God called him to do something foolish — build a giant boat in the desert — then used that foolishness to save the human race.
Look at the judges… Most of them were very flawed, but God used them to deliver Israel time and again.
Look at David… He was an adulterer and murderer, but God used him.
Look at Jonah… He was actively resisting God's call to evangelize a nation, yet God used him to save the people of Nineveh.
Look at the Apostle Paul in the New Testament… He was murdering Christians, and God used him.
Despite their flaws — despite their resistance and hostility toward God — God used the most unlikely people. Why? So that God gets the glory.
So how is this relevant to us today?
God delights in using flawed, foolish, weak and base people and strategies to accomplish His work. And He resists people who rely on their strengths and expertise.
In 1 Peter 5:5-6, it says…
"…all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'"
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus starts His list of beatitudes with this…
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Being poor in spirit is being humble and having a right understanding of how flawed we are and unworthy of God's love. And it's only when we're humbled and desperate for God's intervention that He will use us.
So how do we relate to one another knowing this? Well the passage in 1 Peter goes on…
"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time…"
And Paul says in his letter to the Philippians (2:2-4)…
…[be] like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
What this means for me, personally, is that I need to understand that my "expertise" and years of experience in Marketing, for example, can actually be a detriment in God's seemingly upside-down kingdom.
That God delights in using flawed, weak, unsophisticated strategies to accomplish great works and build His kingdom.
That I shouldn't look down on what I think are "amateur" strategies and opinions, but be humble in my self image and self assessment, seek to lift others up, and obey God — no matter how foolish, weak or unsophisticated it may look to the world — because where I am weak, He is strong, and He will get the glory. Which is ultimately the whole point in life.
So beware of relying on your expertise. God doesn't tend to use experts to build His kingdom. He uses humble folks who trust and obey Him. Let us be weak, so that God can demonstrate His strength. And let us not allow our expertise to get in the way of His blessing.