The Crutch part 3
Everybody needs a crutch. Because everybody stumbles. Everybody makes mistakes. Eveybody needs help. So this idea that believing in God makes you weak is a little bit silly to me. You're weak either way. Even the strongest of us can't make it our own. But watch this, because this is good news. (And that's what the Gospel is, isn't it? The good news?) 1 Corinthians 1:25 (NLT), "This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength." God's weakness is stronger than our strength! Which, of course, begs the question: What IS God's weakness? And, quite simply, you are. I am. We are. The Father has a soft spot in His heart for His Son. That's what His plan was, after all. His plan was to give us His only begotten Son so that we might know and believe that we ARE His Son. So that we might experience the abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of Jesus as Jesus lives it in us, and through us, and as us. And God's plan is wiser than all of our plans. What He did both for us and as us on the cross is better than anything we could do on our own. We run around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to build our own little kingdoms, and we miss out on the truth that He already GAVE us HIS Kingdom. The Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of Love. He holds us up and keeps us from falling. When the just man falls seven times he gets us every time, right? JESUS is the just man, and seven is the number of perfection! He's been there, done that, got the t-shirt. He knows the way because He IS the Way (and the Truth, and the Life). That's why He CAN keep us from falling. And look at 2 Corinthians 12:9 to see HOW He keeps us from falling: "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." His strength is made perfect in our weakness. When we can't... He can. And will. And does. When we come to the end of our rope, and tie a knot in it... when we're hanging on for dear life trying to do the best we can... Daddy looks us in the eye and says, "Child, you're not holding on to me. I'M holding on to you. And I'll never let go. I'll never leave you nor forsake you." It's not about how strong we are. It's about how strong HE is. But it takes our weakness to reveal His strength. If we could do it by ourselves we wouldn't need Him. And He wouldn't have any room to operate. Why do you think God always asks people to do things that--in their own strength--they have no chance of doing? Do you think he's setting us up to fail? Or do you think He wants us to rely on Him? Trust Him? Let HIM do what HE wants to do in us, and through us, and as us. If you only do what you're capable of doing, you'll never be any more than you are right now. But if you glory in your infirmities... if you embrace the God in you--the LOVE in you--you'll find that you can stand tall no matter what. Because you have a crutch holding you up. And when you can stand tall, you can help others stand tall. But that, of course, is for tomorrow.