Weakness part 1
This Rant series might be a little bit different. But, as always, I'm not going to shy away from something that God puts on my heart. Ok. This is what I notice more and more as I interact with people: We're all just doing our best to survive. In fact, for a long while my motto was, "Just get from the start of the day to the end of the day." And sometimes that was all I could do. Sometimes that's still all I can do. Even though I know there's so much more available than just survival... more than just "life" there's abundant life. I know that. And yet... knowing is different that KNOWING. Head knowledge is different than heart knowledge. Sometimes, instead of standing on the Rock of the Truth... I face facts. And I know there are a lot of people in that same boat. I see it every day. People who aren't happy. People who are struggling, but are sick and tired of the struggle. People who want more but don't really BELIEVE in more. People held back by weakness. And listen, I'm not writing this to pick on anybody. I have weakness too. Everybody does. That's a big part of what it means to be "human." We mess up, and we're messy. We make mistakes, even when we're trying to fix things. But even worse that having weakness is thinking, or pretending, that you don't. John the Revelator said it like this, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). Now let me spend a couple of minutes here because I think this is important. I don't believe John was addressing the church in this passage. I believe he was addressing unbelievers. Because that's what sin is. Sin is unbelief. Sin is believing that the lie that says we have to do in order to be. Sin is believing in anything other than Jesus (God in the flesh, love in a body). So if we say we have no unbelief... then of course the TRUTH isn't in us. See, unless you know you need a Savior, you'll never accept that on the cross Jesus saved you. If you don't believe you need a savior, then you don't believe that you have weakness. You think you can "be a good person," or live life all on your own. In your own strength. You think you can, "be an overcomer," instead of receiving the truth that Jesus already overcame! You'll keep struggling because you don't know (or believe) that the work is finished. There's nothing left to overcome. The "facts," along with everything else, is already under our feet... because Jesus came down to where we were and lifted us up to where He is! Let me say it like this, and this is where I think I'm going to be for the next couple of days: "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." (2 Corinthians 12:9). Not ignoring our weakness, or trying to hide it. Not pretending it doesn't exist, but embracing it. Embracing who we are so that we can BE who we are in Him! Making peace with ourselves, because Jesus--who is our peace--already made peace by destroying all of our enemies on the cross!