2 Corinthians 3:3-5 English Standard Version (ESV)

³ And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. ⁴ Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. ⁵ Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,

Ego is a part of the human psyche that allows us to perform to the best of our ability and seek to reach loftier achievements. Ego that will not submit to a higher authority is pride. We know that God resists the proud according to His word. (James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5) Grace is given to those who can humble their ego.

Given that the ego is part of our makeup, it can be and should be a part of our ability to serve God with the confidence that comes from knowing we are in God’s will. I have chosen the opening quote in order to reflect on the essence of confidence in verse 5. Our sufficiency is from God. We do not have to seek to achieve more, to reach higher, to stoke our ego, because it is God in us that is our confidence.

There are times when we may find ourselves saying or thinking, “look what I have done”. Touching greatness is a consuming fire if we seek to steal His glory. Whenever thoughts come our way that even begin to lean in that direction, look back to Old Testament servants and their words.

Genesis 24:12 English Standard Version (ESV) And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham.

We serve Christ and success comes from God the Father.

1 Peter 2:15-16 English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. ¹⁶ Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servantsof God.

The KJV uses may rather than should in verse 15. Having recently written about the uses of may and might in translations I felt compelled to check out the Greek here. I was very surprised to discover a phrase and not just a word.

Phimoō means to close the mouth with a muzzle. My understanding is that we are not allowed to place a muzzle on another person’s animal. Since my understanding is limited in this meaning I must seek answers from my Lord.

There was no social media in the first century and it is not fair to compare what we see these days with what was being said back then. Mean spirited and hateful people don’t just shut up. Those that answer to another authority will not be muzzled. They however are not foolish.

Aphrōn is the Greek word used for foolish and it means without reason. The hateful, spiteful and mean spirited have reason to respond as they do. The foolish do not. It is the foolish who are muzzled.

1 Corinthians 1:27 English Standard Version (ESV) But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

The foolish, without reason, without cause, can be used of God by giving them something the hateful, spiteful and mean spirited refuse. A reason to seek God, His salvation and a hope for a life without bitterness and harsh words.