Men of God and Many More...

"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

A man of God had some profound words. He talked about a personal trial and started to question whether he was in the God's will or not. Than he went into 2 Cor 12 about Paul's pesky thorn in the flesh and how it made him weak, but God's power whole. He mentioned the following:

"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. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:18-31)

Sometimes when we're weak and foolish in worldly standards, we're in the center of all God's action!

What stood out more was that I knew the man of God a bit more personally. He was not just a stellar exegete for the Bible or a great orator but humble, caring, warm, gentle, kind and giving! I was more awestruck at his character above everything else.

I just want to give a shout out to all those men and women of God who put character ahead of all else. Thank you to the risk takers, thrill seekers, sacrificial givers, believers, mercy dispensers, peace vendors, meek matchers, and most of all Christ lovers.
It is nice to bear witness to some authentic fruits of the Spirit and much more! I hope to imitate you as you imitate Christ!

"Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1)

"...but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises"(Hebrews 6:12)