I can wish I were stronger, but the reality may be I am not. Reason to despair? Well, consider this. Paul once made a bold statement: “I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.” Surely he would have qualified that more if he knew how weak we are! Maybe I can do SOME things through Christ, but ALL?

 

It may sound strange but sometimes the path to being stronger is by plainly admitting our weakness. It does us no good to pretend we are strong when we are not. We cannot be what we are not, that is just a law of nature. We cannot squeeze non-existant strength from our souls any more than we can squeeze water from a rock. To try to is only to perpetuate disappointment when we fail . . . yet again. At least if we admit we are weak, we get ourselves out of the way from the process of accessing true strength. (Secret: it’s not from ourselves!)

 

Reaching Paul’s “ALL” has nothing to do with pretending. He’s not strutting in chutzpah, he’s not grandstanding. He is speaking of REALITY. Elsewhere Paul wrote this: “…his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead…” Think how astounding this statement is. The power that worked to raise Christ from the dead is the SAME power that works in us. If we operate in that truth – not in some casual, careless way, but in a determined and consistent way – we substitute a weaker reality (ourselves with all of our limitation) with a greater reality (the life of God Himself). Suddenly, those intimidating mountains before us don’t seem so imposing anymore, but conquerable. It’s because we’ve abandoned our own diminutive perspectives, and replaced them with the strength of the Lord.

 

When we do that, Paul’s statement doesn’t seem such a stretch at all, but the most natural thing that could come from a person’s lips.

 

Blessings,

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