Our Strength In Weakness*** 2

The Holy One calls to me this morning.  There are days when I feel like more than a conqueror, but today is not one of those days.  Today is a day when I look around at all that seems to be falling apart in the world and I cannot find my sling or a stone.

Thankfully the Holy Spirit knows my every thought before I find it.  “I AM your strength in weakness.  Be still and know that I am God”.

Much ado is made about being valiant, courageous and strong.  Weakness is not a pleasant nor desirable self-assessment.  Weakness does not fit with a warrior mentality yet where else can we truly know the power of God separate from our own?

I have learned that over our lifetime and circumstances, our prayers are heard and answered but not always in the ways we expect.  I have for many years prayed that hard circumstances and difficult people would be removed from my life.  Lately my Counselor has helped me to realize that I need those weights to grow stronger in faith and dependency upon Him.  He has told me that to ask for their removal is like going to a gym and asking the coach too remove the weights from the bar I am about to lift; a totally pointless workout time at the gym.

Paul, who was among the greatest of Apostles and gave us most of the New Testament, when dealing with his “thorn” in the flesh wrote this as the Lord’s answer:    

2 Corinthian 12:9-10, “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you for my strength is made perfect in weakness”.  Therefore, most gladly I will boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me….”  And in the issues of life, he went on to say, “Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions for Christ’s sake, for when I am weak then I am strong.”

Here is here the rubber meets the road in my faith.  My pride and great temptation is to win…my way.  Even as I relate life trials to the unseen enemy’s opposition, the battle provokes me to independent flesh maneuvers and failure is defined as losing a skirmish where I see the evil one temporarily gaining ground. I try to take him out in my own strength and even my own “power” (strength) in prayer. 

Prayer is not the power.  God is the power.  Prayer is my way of connecting with God’s power.  If I think that “power” is in the prayer and not in the One who calls me to pray, then it is my strength at issue. 

Prayer power is not enough to defeat he opposition.  Grace is God's power in our weakness and we fail to recognize it until we can get a breather and look back at where we came from.  Grace is seen in the rear view mirror and from that perspective we know that it was not our great power or slick moves that got us through the swamp land when we were overwhelmed and broken.

It is the role and desire of the Holy Spirit who dwells within the heart of every believer and Christ follower to Glorify Jesus, the Son of God.  This should be our desire as well.  His glory through us depends on the ruling authority of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 

When we overcome our flesh reactions by the virtues of Christ which is His fruit to bear when we face the challenges of people and life, then Jesus is glorified to the world around us.  Love instead of hate, joy instead of despair, peace instead of war, and all the fruit of the Spirit instead of the sins of the flesh. 

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is in such contrast to a natural flesh reaction, people see that something is different about us.  That contrast between flesh and spirit, when the Spirit controls us and peace prevails is the attraction that draws others to Christ through us.

This life is hard and designed to be that way.  Flesh cannot handle life with grace.  Only the Holy Spirit can handle life with grace.  But that grace (defined as God’s ability and power) is provided to Christians and is our strength in weakness. 

We are told, “Do not be surprised at the fiery trials you are facing”.  It is in the midst of these fiery trials that God’s grace is found to be sufficient and as we rely on the Holy Spirit within to be our strength in weakness His grace brings great glory to Jesus, our Savior, our Lord and our King.

In these days of feeling personal weakness in the trials of life, may I remember Paul’s words, follow his example and maybe even take pleasure in the hard things, “for Christ’s sake” when He says, ‘My strength is made perfect in weakness”.

The Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?