Weakness part 5
It was pointed out to me--correctly--that what we consider "weakness" doesn't need to be focused on at all. Especially with the realization that in our "weakness" He is strong. Look at Colossians 2:10, "And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power." And look at Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." So I say to you, "Weakness? What weakness?" And this isn't pretending we don't have them. This isn't trying to hide them. This is embracing who we are. And more importantly, embracing who we REALLY are! Who we are in Christ! Even though there are some things that I'm good at (some strengths, if you will), and some things I'm not good at (call them weaknesses if you will), I am COMPLETE in Him! I can do ALL things. Moses's "weakness" of not being a good speaker is the very thing that God called him to do. And God didn't call Him to do it in SPITE of his "weakness." He called him to do it BECAUSE of his weakness. God didn't want Moses to express Moses to Pharoah. God wanted Moses to express GOD to Pharoah. Guys... that's who we are. We are God's expression of Himself in this dimension. (That's the next Rant series, so I won't go into it too much today, but...) His strength is made perfect in weakness. We can't (and won't) rely on God if we think we can do it ourselves. Remember, that's why the Law was given. Not so that we could follow it--we CAN'T follow it--but so that we would KNOW we can't follow it. It was the schoolmaster given to bring us to Christ. To bring us to the end of ourselves. To show us that all of our so-called "strength" was insufficient. And that was the problem with the Law. It demanded perfection (or maturity, or completeness) without being able to produce it. All the Law could do was point out our failures. It couldn't do anything to help us succeed. And that's where Jesus came in. Our savior. The One who did what we couldn't do. The One who finished the work. And He didn't just do it FOR us, He did it AS us. He became weak so that we could be made strong. He became poor so that we could be made rich. He gave His life FOR us, and He gave His life TO us. In the moment of Jesus' biggest (perceived) weakness on the cross... when He laid His life down and died a brutal, painful, shameful death... it was really His moment of biggest strength. Earth-shattering strength. Death defying strength. And in the same way, we are strongest when we are weakest. When we stop fighting and working and laboring... and start resting. When we stop trying to GET--because we know and believe that we already have it all--and begin to give. When we lay down OUR lives for our friends. When we're real, and vulnerable. When we ask for help. When we connect with each other and work together. That's when HIS strength is made perfect in OUR weakness. Not when we ignore it or try to hide it. But when we embrace it. When we stop trying to be somebody we're not and just be who we are. Let Him be who He is in us!