Strength Through Weakness

I have been going through a health trial and it has caused me to face things in a way I have never had to before. It truly is a testing of my faith and my genuine dependence on my Shepherd.

As I go through this trial, the one thing people say that gets under my skin is, “Be strong!” “Stay strong!” “You are strong!”

I know they mean well, but the truth is I am only strong by the Lord’s power in me.

The apostle Paul told us, he delights in weakness, for when we are weak, then we are strong.

He also told us, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

THROUGH CHRIST is the key words, and what does “through Christ” look like?

Jesus humbled himself, submitted to the Father’s will, suffered and died.

Are we above the Master?

Paul said boast in the cross and boast in our weakness. Nothing was ever said of boasting about our strength.

We are not to show the world how strong we are, but how in the midst of weakness, we are able to keep going and fight because the Lord is sustaining us, it’s His strength that picks us back up when we get knocked down time and time again.

Rocky Balboa had some words of wisdom: “Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees, and keep you there if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done. “

James 1:3 tells us, “the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

So with the Lord, yes we are strong!

Ephesians 6:16 says, “Be strong IN the LORD and IN the power of HIS might.”

The next time someone says, “be strong!” I will respond with the only way I know how to do that, and that is, “IN the LORD.”

Ephesians 6 goes on to instruct us on how to be strong in the Lord, by putting on His armor.

The language here is interesting, it tells us to put on the armor and then it tells us to just stand firm!

Our fighting is in our obedience.

“Put on! Stand firm!”

“Put on! and “Stand firm!”