Where does our value come from?
Today's readings pushed me a direction I didn't predict. Value and worth. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul covers a handful of really great topics, so much application for us today. But like I said, something just drove me towards our value, and where does our value come from?
Let’s jump to the Message translation, and dig in a little.
“It pleases me that you continue to remember and honor me by keeping up the traditions of the faith I taught you. All actual authority stems from Christ.” - 1 Corinthians 11:1-2 MSG
Paul hit’s somethings key off the top that we might miss. Paul is pleased and honored that people are modeling what he has taught, that he has influence. In today's culture, Paul was a social media influencer, a massive following and always quoted, InstaFamous, YouTube celeb, and so on, and so on. But Paul points to Christ, who is the authority. Paul deflects and makes it clear where the authority stems from. Paul is fighting ego, pride, and living puffed-up, and a key for this is understanding where all authority comes from. Paul did not receive his value from the Corinthians honoring him or modeling life after him; Paul's value stemmed from Christ alone.
Paul carries this thought of authority into relationships.
“In a marriage relationship, there is authority from Christ to husband, and from husband to wife. The authority of Christ is the authority of God. Any man who speaks with God or about God in a way that shows a lack of respect for the authority of Christ, dishonors Christ. In the same way, a wife who speaks with God in a way that shows a lack of respect for the authority of her husband, dishonors her husband. Worse, she dishonors herself—an ugly sight, like a woman with her head shaved. This is basically the origin of these customs we have of women wearing head coverings in worship, while men take their hats off. By these symbolic acts, men and women, who far too often butt heads with each other, submit their “heads” to the Head: God.” -1 Corinthians 11:3-9 MSG
Paul brings clarity to where all authority comes from, and that is God. When we are out of balance, or our lives are seeking value from the wrong source we will struggle to have the appropriate respect for those around us. There is an order in which Paul communicates, I honestly think we can focus too much on order and miss a more important element. The point here that Paul is bringing is our actions in public and in private are critically crucial to how we are honoring and respecting that authority of Christ. How we love and respect those around us is a reflection of how we love and respect God.
Here, Paul makes the point I shared earlier - don’t get lost in the differences between men and women...you will miss the lesson!
“Don’t, by the way, read too much into the differences here between men and women. Neither man nor woman can go it alone or claim priority. Man was created first, as a beautiful shining reflection of God—that is true. But the head on a woman’s body clearly outshines in beauty the head of her “head,” her husband. The first woman came from man, true—but ever since then, every man comes from a woman! And since virtually everything comes from God anyway, let’s quit going through these “who’s first” routines.” - 1 Corinthians 11:10-12 MSG
What point I loved here was Paul reminds any egotistical man what wants to inappropriately prop up the order crap that every man comes from woman. That might put a few men in their places, hopefully.
Anyway, neither man nor woman can claim priority, no who’s first routines or who’s better or who’s whatever - everything comes from God! We must bring everything back to where the authority stems from, and that is Christ. Since all authority comes from Christ, then we can understand and discern that our value, our self-esteem and our worth can not be separated from Christ. Our value is not in a role, a review score, a material possession, or anything of this world. Our value can not even be in our gifting or our talents and abilities...for where did those come from?
An interesting rabbit trail this morning from authority to self-worth and value. May we all as we go into the day fully understanding that all actual authority stems from Christ, and because of that understanding, we connect our value and self-worth not of this world, but in Christ.