Today’s Good Word gives us the opportunity to look at the concept of weakness from another angle than we have yet done. Let’s start by placing the verse in context. Paul is writing to the Corinthian church, explaining that outsiders may look at their Christian faith as a sign of weakness.

Verse 18 says, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” In other words, unbelievers will think that Christianity is silly. They’ll think they know better. But believers are the ones who truly know better.

Have you ever been made to feel foolish for what you believe? Like you’re somehow mentally deficient? Some people automatically think that religion is a crutch of some kind — believers are too weak to face life without faith. Christians are small-minded folks who secretly know that their faith isn’t stout enough to withstand close scrutiny, so they never fully examine what they believe, afraid of what they’ll find.

To those of us who know Jesus Christ, this couldn’t be further from the truth. The Gospel is simple enough that everyone can understand it regardless of intellect. But, it’s a well that runs deep, a suitcase that you can never fully unpack, a source of wisdom that can apply to every person who reads it at any point in the span of their lifetime, not to mention the span of history. Now, that doesn’t sound like something that appeals to only the weak-minded.

The first part of today’s verse reads like this, “The foolishness of God is wiser than men.” That means the simplicity of the Gospel contains more wisdom than anything man’s mind can think up on its own. This will always repel unbelievers, but to Christians it will always ring true.

The next time that someone makes you feel weak-minded for what you believe, remember today’s verse and how your faith is, in reality, stronger than anything the human mind can muster alone.

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.