Reason #908
"Our weakness is the key to unlocking God's strength." - Priscilla Shirer
I used to think age made the difference. The older you were, the more you knew, the more capable you were. Age and ability went hand in hand, I thought. But I am finding that the older I get, the more I realize how incapable I am. I realize how much I need to the Lord every day. I need His help in all sorts of matters because the moment I try to do things on my own, I realize I can't.
No one likes to be seen as weak. I want people to see me as a really self-sufficient person. That's usually why I don't ask for help in my hardest struggles. I don't want people to know I am weak. But I've come to realize that there is freedom in admitting your weakness to others. If anything, you find yourself in good company because the truth is, we're all weak. It's nice to know you're not alone, isn't it? Even if your weakness is a little different than mine, at least we can be weak together. We don't have to pretend and put on a show. We both know the truth about one another, and it's strangely comforting, isn't it?
I moved every year in college. Of course the beauty of living in the same town as your family is that they're free help. My brother is an ox. Seriously, he is one of the strongest guys I know. Just being around him makes me feel safe. No one is going to pick a fight with him. He looks tough, and of course he is, but deep down I know his heart. He's a gentle giant, but when judging from a glance you wouldn't guess that. Well, his strength came in really handy during all my moves. The first time I moved was from a third floor apartment. He came to help me pack up my car and he made it his goal to make as few trips as possible. I remember watching him come down three flights of stairs carrying a dresser full of clothes. He wasn't going to mess with that drawer by drawer method I suggested. He just gripped the whole thing and brought it all down in one trip. The truth is, I would have struggled carrying a single drawer down myself so I was more than happy, and impressed, to let him exert his strength and do the heavy lifting. After all, he was getting me further along than I could have ever gotten by myself.
I think this is how it works with the Lord. We need His strength. Sure, we can try to do it on our own but we aren't going to get very far. We might make some progress, but there are just some things we can't successfully do without Him. And you know what, that is okay. My brother never expected me to carry a dresser full of drawers down 3 flights of stairs. In fact, had I tried, he would have thought I was crazy. And the same goes with God. He doesn't expect you to kick that addiction on your own. He doesn't expect you to heal your own heart or overcome your biggest struggles independently. He wants to help you. And the whole point of realizing and admitting that you can't do it is so that you'll call on Him. Your weaknesses aren't there to make you feel inadequate, ashamed, or inferior. They are there to point you to God. That's when God's strength is made perfect. When you hand over your weaknesses to God, you see His power displayed in a mighty way. And you realize that with His help, you can do it. Not only will you go far, you'll be victorious.
So thank the Lord for your weaknesses, as strange as that sounds. Thank Him for the opportunity to see His power and might displayed in your life, through you! Thank Him for being strong enough for the both of you. God will not be outdone. There is nothing the two of you can't overcome together. He doesn't expect you to do it on your own. And, He wants to help you. Not because He 'has' to or because He feels sympathy for you. No, He wants you to live a life of victory. He wants to see you succeed because He loves you. So don't try to do it on your own. Live weak because He is strong.
#908 - Because He uses our weaknesses to display His strength and power!
"Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." - 2 Corinthians 12:8-9
I used to think age made the difference. The older you were, the more you knew, the more capable you were. Age and ability went hand in hand, I thought. But I am finding that the older I get, the more I realize how incapable I am. I realize how much I need to the Lord every day. I need His help in all sorts of matters because the moment I try to do things on my own, I realize I can't.
No one likes to be seen as weak. I want people to see me as a really self-sufficient person. That's usually why I don't ask for help in my hardest struggles. I don't want people to know I am weak. But I've come to realize that there is freedom in admitting your weakness to others. If anything, you find yourself in good company because the truth is, we're all weak. It's nice to know you're not alone, isn't it? Even if your weakness is a little different than mine, at least we can be weak together. We don't have to pretend and put on a show. We both know the truth about one another, and it's strangely comforting, isn't it?
I moved every year in college. Of course the beauty of living in the same town as your family is that they're free help. My brother is an ox. Seriously, he is one of the strongest guys I know. Just being around him makes me feel safe. No one is going to pick a fight with him. He looks tough, and of course he is, but deep down I know his heart. He's a gentle giant, but when judging from a glance you wouldn't guess that. Well, his strength came in really handy during all my moves. The first time I moved was from a third floor apartment. He came to help me pack up my car and he made it his goal to make as few trips as possible. I remember watching him come down three flights of stairs carrying a dresser full of clothes. He wasn't going to mess with that drawer by drawer method I suggested. He just gripped the whole thing and brought it all down in one trip. The truth is, I would have struggled carrying a single drawer down myself so I was more than happy, and impressed, to let him exert his strength and do the heavy lifting. After all, he was getting me further along than I could have ever gotten by myself.
I think this is how it works with the Lord. We need His strength. Sure, we can try to do it on our own but we aren't going to get very far. We might make some progress, but there are just some things we can't successfully do without Him. And you know what, that is okay. My brother never expected me to carry a dresser full of drawers down 3 flights of stairs. In fact, had I tried, he would have thought I was crazy. And the same goes with God. He doesn't expect you to kick that addiction on your own. He doesn't expect you to heal your own heart or overcome your biggest struggles independently. He wants to help you. And the whole point of realizing and admitting that you can't do it is so that you'll call on Him. Your weaknesses aren't there to make you feel inadequate, ashamed, or inferior. They are there to point you to God. That's when God's strength is made perfect. When you hand over your weaknesses to God, you see His power displayed in a mighty way. And you realize that with His help, you can do it. Not only will you go far, you'll be victorious.
So thank the Lord for your weaknesses, as strange as that sounds. Thank Him for the opportunity to see His power and might displayed in your life, through you! Thank Him for being strong enough for the both of you. God will not be outdone. There is nothing the two of you can't overcome together. He doesn't expect you to do it on your own. And, He wants to help you. Not because He 'has' to or because He feels sympathy for you. No, He wants you to live a life of victory. He wants to see you succeed because He loves you. So don't try to do it on your own. Live weak because He is strong.
#908 - Because He uses our weaknesses to display His strength and power!
"Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." - 2 Corinthians 12:8-9
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