That no flesh should glory in His presence

"...that no flesh should glory in His presence." (1 Cor.1:29)

Every man desires to have a hero and become a hero. Everybody desires fame; if not, at least the glory of being superior than the others by adoring someone special. We live in an age of celebrity culture, who have gained the same status by the repeated presentation of them by the media in many places at many times. These visible lights attract many eyes. Some have looked to them for hope.

But, history has proven that man's aspirations from man have often ended in disaster. Humans are usually the same all throughout. It is we who idolize them. Some are idolized for just "15 minutes of fame". Then, there are those instruments of propaganda that cunning men have used to deceive the simple and attract them to themselves. Anti-racial, anti-communal, and anti-national feelings of hatred all breed from tales and testimonies that falsely depict other humans as lower than oneself. We live in an age of mass deception, and advertisers enjoy their pays.

The entertainers are the no.1 people that draw mass attention and sentiments, nowadays. They usually redefine values and people vacillate between ideas of popularity from time to time. In them the myths seem to have come into reality in the minds of many. Interestingly, some people in India have built temples in the name of certain movie stars and cricketers. Gods are still in creation.

But, everybody is a leader. They all leave traces of influence behind. But, of what kind?

Paul in this first epistle to the Corinthians reproves them for being idolizers. Some were calling themselves Paulites; others, Apollosites; still others, Cephasites (or belonging to Peter); and still some others, Jesusites (belonging to Jesus). It is not wrong to call oneself as belonging to Jesus. But, when someone does that from a clear intention of showing themselves superior than the others, this is carnal pride - to glory in the flesh. Sad, that Christian history is not free from this evil. Some have even attempted to show that people of other religions are less than humans. God doesn't allow any instance of pride in the religion of faith. The Scripture asks us to look at our roots.

26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
27 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;
28 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,
29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.

While learning from God's servants, we must understand that it is our own personal responsibility to accept the grace of God through faith and grow in Him. And, "he who glories, let him glory in the LORD." (v31).