God’s wisdom transcends human reasoning. Jesus told his disciples that a true leader is a person who serves. He said the greatest person in the group was actually the one who made himself the least. His statements stand opposed to human logic, yet we know his words are perfect truth.

Jesus didn’t choose the trained church leaders of his day to become his disciples; instead, he chose faithful men who knew how to run a fishing business. He chose a tax collector who wanted to be right with God. Jesus even chose a man who would one day betray him. The wisdom of Christ teaches us to value people for the strength of their faith more than their abilities. The wisdom of Christ reveals the importance of knowing and faithfully choosing God’s leadership, even when it might seem illogical to others.

Logic should have led Jesus to choose the men who had dedicated themselves to studying the scrolls of God’s word. It would make sense that the Pharisees and Sadducees would be the most logical men to recognize and understand Christ’s life as the fulfillment of the numerous messianic prophecies of Scripture. Yet, it was the men who were Jesus’ most logical choice to be disciples who would later shout “Crucify him!” and call for their Messiah’s death.

People today often fall into the same mistake of following human logic instead of following the Spirit’s wisdom.

God told Moses to part the Red Sea and lead the Israelites to step off the shore and cross to the other side. God told Joshua to lead the people into the promised land by crossing the Jordan River—at flood stage. Jesus told his disciples that greatness in heaven would be found by clawing their way to the bottom. Scripture doesn’t exist to strengthen our logic; it exists to strengthen our faith in God’s power and wisdom.

Why does God insist on working in ways that seem to contradict logic?

If Moses and the people had been able to cross the Red Sea on a boat, would his enemies have been slain? If Joshua had waited until the Jordan River was shallow, would his enemies in Jericho have hidden within the city walls, fearful of Joshua’s God? If Jesus had picked the Pharisees and Sadducees, would they have wanted to listen to his teaching or debate their own thoughts and ideas?

God has an affinity for people who humbly consider themselves the least. God often calls people to lead who will understand their need to follow. That’s why Jesus said, “Let the greatest among you become as the youngest” and the “leader as one who serves.” Remember, David was the youngest of all the brothers, yet he was the one chosen by God to become the king.

Until we yield to God’s wisdom, all we have is human knowledge and human strength. God’s ways are not our ways. They are higher and holier. Spiritually, we will be much stronger when we trust that spiritual truth should always give direction to our human logic.

Yielding to God’s wisdom is spiritual strength. It is perfectly logical to yield to the wisdom of our perfect God.