Strength part 1
Sometimes the strongest thing you can do is NOT fight back. Sometimes its better to stand tall and fast, on the Rock that is our foundation, and let the winds and the rain beat against us until the storm runs out of steam. Jesus said it like this, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew 5:38-39). I think of this as the "Helping or hurting" rule. Is what you're about to do going to help the situation, or hurt it? If someone hits you, and you hit them back... guess who is hurt: everybody. But if someone hits you, true maturity is understanding that someone has probably already hit them. You can't give what you don't have, and you can only give what you do have. The trick is to KNOW what you REALLY have, so that you don't feel the need to give back what someone else gives you. Receive and release from your heavenly Father, not from your upset brother. And, listen, I understand that God works through people. I understand that everything someone gives you is not always going to be bad. Receiving love from people IS receiving love from God. Because God IS love. Anytime you receive love, you receive God. And every time you give love, you give God. You express Him. You show people who He is without even saying "God," or "Jesus." So I'm not saying you should never receive what people give you. Because if you're giving people love it stands to reason that someone might give YOU love. I'm simply talking about what we should do if (WHEN) that doesn't happen. And I'm saying, you can break the cycle. Someone smites you on the cheek... don't smite them back. Turn the other cheek. That sends a strong message. A message that says, "I'm not mad at you. I know you're hurting and its ok. I'm here for you, even though you lashed out at me." I like the quote, "Meekness isn't weakness, it is strength under control" because it reminds me of my pastor. I don't think I've ever seen him get mad. I'm sure he HAS gotten mad, but that's the point. He kept himself under control. The idea that "might makes right" has always kind of bothered me, for that very reason. We look at "might" as someone physically dominating someone else. And, in my opinion, there is nothing "right" about that at all. But at the same time, I think RIGHT makes MIGHT. I think when we use our strength the right way, we will be able to withstand anything. Still strong. Still standing. That's why love never fails... because love endures. You can smash up against the rock as many times as you want. The rock's not going anywhere. Eventually (hopefully) you'll knock some sense into yourself. But the point is, the rock doesn't hit back. It doesn't need to. It just needs to be what it is. WHO it is. I think this Rant series is going to be about inner strength. And I know I just quoted this verse the other day, but I'm a little bit stuck on it. "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man" (Ephesians 3:16). Strengthened with might. The RIGHT kind. In the inner man. Where love lives. Because LOVE is our strength...