The Mystery of Weakness and Strength

God’s power under us, in us, surging through us,
is exactly what turns dependence
into unforgettable experiences of completeness.
Bruce Wilkinson

I am definitely not a person who likes to admit weakness. Regardless of the situation, I like to think that I can handle it all! I can deal with it all! I can juggle it all! To do anything less than that is to admit defeat ~ to be weak. After speaking with other Christian women, I don’t feel alone at all in this perplexing place. We feel like we have to do it all – be Super Woman at home, at work, at church! But is that really the attitude of true strength? If we were created to handle it all, why would God be called our “refuge” and our “rock”?

The quote by Bruce Wilkinson strikes a very resonant cord. Without God’s power “surging through us” are we truly able to experience the dependence that frees us to experience the completeness?

So there it is, the mystery of weakness and strength! Only in my weakness am I able to enjoy and appreciate God’s strength. Even Paul realized it in 2 Corinthians 12:9 – “my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Before we can allow God to take care of it all – we have to admit that we can’t, and there is the biggest challenge of all! What are you trying to fix? What problem are you trying to solve on your own? Quit wallowing in your weakness! Run to God for His power and strength! Only as you admit that you can’t, will you see that He can!

 

At Attention in Adoration

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.
I Peter 3:15a

As I read that verse this morning, I realized that I didn’t have a very good grasp of what the word sanctify actually meant. I know it means to give a place of ultimate honor to, in this case, the Lord. But HOW? What does it look like when I “sanctify the Lord God” in my heart? I’m a pretty visual person, give me a picture and I can understand something, but no pictures were coming to mind with this idea. As I study the Bible, I often like to read the verses from other translations because it usually sheds a new light on the passage. Such was the case today when I looked up I Peter 3:15 in the The Message. It read,

keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master.

Oh! That makes a lot more sense! When I sanctify the Lord in my heart and give Him a place of ultimate honor, my heart will be fully focused on Him. I will be always standing at attention before His presence. BUT, it’s the next two words that really brought it all home! I’m not standing at attention in fear, I’m standing at attention in love. The Lord should always be my heart’s focus, and the adoration I have for Him should be my guiding principle. Much as a servant will look to his kind and generous master with awe and respect, I am to look to the Lord, but adding to that the understanding that my Master is the one who gave His Son to save my life. What other act is there that could command my heart’s full attention in ultimate adoration?

Powered by ScribeFire.