God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, 

and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 

1 Corinthians 1:28 NLT

Tonight I'm going to a concert to raise some money to send to a village in the middle of Africa where most of the people who live there have leprosy. 

A village of beautiful people, yet who carry the scars and ravages of a disease they didn't ask for or deserve in any way. In the world's measure, they would be "counted as nothing at all".

In God's economy they are no less loved, no less valued than those the world calls important. Maybe more so. 

Paul is writing to a church that has its values upsidedown, and gives them an opportunity to see that, to choose to see those who their culture says are the least, to hear their stories, to learn not just about them, but about the heart of God. 

I get sucked into the values of my culture all the time, sometimes they're good, but often they aren't. 

Maybe today you feel like you're "despised by the world". Know that Jesus himself was in that same place, his heart is for you.

Paul reminds us here that those the world discards, our God does not (& neither should we).

#corinthians

#seen

#known

#dearlyloved

#lovewithoutmeasure