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How Does God Use the Insignificant to Accomplish His Purpose?

God’s Sovereign Choice of the Weak and Despised

The apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 1:28 underscore a profound biblical principle: God often chooses what the world considers insignificant, weak, and despised to accomplish his sovereign purposes. Paul writes, “and the insignificant things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that he might bring to nothing the things that are.” This verse reveals God’s pattern of working contrary to human expectations and using humble instruments to achieve his glory.

This principle is not unique to Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians. It echoes throughout Scripture, demonstrating Jehovah’s power to exalt the humble and abase the proud. As Proverbs 16:18 states, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” God’s choice of the lowly underscores his sovereignty and wisdom, ensuring that no one can boast before him.

Examples from the Old Testament

The Old Testament is replete with examples of God’s preference for the weak and despised over the strong and powerful. These accounts serve as a reminder that God’s power is made perfect in human weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

The Calling of Abraham
Abraham, the patriarch of Israel, was an ordinary man living in Ur of the Chaldeans when God called him to leave his homeland and follow his direction (Genesis 12:1-3). Abraham was not a king or a mighty warrior, yet God chose him to be the father of a great nation through which all the families of the earth would be blessed.

Gideon’s Victory Over the Midianites
In Judges 6-7, Gideon, the least of his family and tribe, was chosen by God to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Midianites. Jehovah reduced Gideon’s army to just 300 men to ensure that the victory would clearly be attributed to divine intervention and not human strength. Judges 7:2 records God’s reasoning: “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’”

David’s Anointing as King
David, the youngest son of Jesse, was overlooked by his family when the prophet Samuel sought to anoint the next king of Israel. Yet, Jehovah declared in 1 Samuel 16:7, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For Jehovah sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looks on the heart.” David’s humble beginnings as a shepherd did not disqualify him from becoming Israel’s greatest king and a man after God’s own heart.

Jesus’ Ministry and the Insignificant

The life and ministry of Jesus Christ exemplify God’s use of the lowly and despised to accomplish his purposes. Born in a manger in Bethlehem, Jesus defied the expectations of a Messiah who would come as a conquering king. Instead, he came as a humble servant, demonstrating that greatness in God’s kingdom is defined by humility and service (Mark 10:45).

Jesus consistently associated with those whom society marginalized. He ministered to tax collectors, sinners, and the sick, declaring in Matthew 9:13, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” His choice of disciples further illustrates this principle. The twelve men he selected were not religious elites but ordinary fishermen, a tax collector, and others of humble status.

The Purpose of God’s Choice

Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 1:29-31 that God’s choice of the weak and despised serves a specific purpose: “so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” By using those whom the world considers insignificant, God ensures that all glory belongs to him alone.

This principle aligns with Jeremiah 9:23-24, which states, “Thus says Jehovah: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am Jehovah who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight.’”

God’s use of the lowly demonstrates that his wisdom far surpasses human understanding. As Isaiah 55:8-9 declares, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares Jehovah. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Application for Believers

Believers today can draw encouragement from the truth that God delights in using the weak and despised for his glory. This reality counters the world’s emphasis on power, wealth, and status as measures of worth. James 4:10 reminds us, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

Christians are called to follow the example of Christ, who emptied himself and took on the form of a servant (Philippians 2:5-8). By adopting an attitude of humility and dependence on God, believers position themselves to be used for his purposes.

The apostle Paul exemplifies this mindset. Despite his extensive education and status as a Pharisee, Paul counted all things as loss for the sake of Christ (Philippians 3:7-8). He acknowledged his own weakness, stating in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Conclusion

1 Corinthians 1:28 captures the essence of God’s countercultural approach to accomplishing his will. By choosing the insignificant and despised, God displays his power and wisdom, ensuring that no one can boast in their own strength. This principle is evident throughout Scripture, from the calling of Abraham to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Believers are called to embrace humility and trust in God’s ability to work through their weaknesses. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.” Through faith and dependence on God, Christians can be vessels for his glory, demonstrating that his strength is made perfect in their weakness.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).