Eyes are weak
hands are weak.
Some can’t walk
some can’t talk.
People get old
some families are small.
Single mothers
single fathers
ophans.
Building crumble
hearts sink.
Mountains are too big to climb
rivers to wide to cross.
heavens are too high to reach.
Lips get weak
and the words don’t come out.
Dreams get weak and disappear.
The Spirit helps us in our weaknesses.
He prays through us.
He strengthens us.
He comforts us and gives us strength.
We read in Romans 8:26 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”
Paul accepted weaknesses in his life. We read in 2 Corinthians 12:10 “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Our faith can be weak at times, and it is ok to confess that and to say that. God is pleased when we speak the truth in love. There was a man in the Bible who knew that he had weak faith so he said to Jesus: “I believe, but help my unbelief.”
In other words the man was saying, “I believe, but I know that my faith is weak.”
And Jesus healed the man’s son because the man came to Jesus and confessed his weakness, but the man also confessed that he knew that Jesus was the one who was going to help him.
We are weak in so many ways. I am weak in so many ways. My problem is that I don’t always want to accept my weaknesses.
For example, I can’t handle very well when people don’t want to do things the way I want to do them. I get angry and frustrated. I raise my voice. I intimidate people and make them feel scared and make them feel bad.
I can’t accept that I’m weak and that I have to give in to the problem. Jesus says that if someone is going to hit you on the right side of your face, your supposed to turn and give them the left side of your face to hit.
Jesus is saying that He wants you to be weak. He doesn’t want you to fight back. Even if you are bigger and stronger than the person hitting you, Jesus wants to you to be weak and subject yourself to the torture. It is an amazing request. Jesus is telling us: “I want you to be weak. I want you to accept the persecution and difficulty and pain, and I don’t want you to fight back. I want you to accept it.”
That is really, really hard to do.
To be weak means to accept what is happening to you, and in front of you.
Something amazing is supposed to happen when we allow ourselves to be weak. When we allow ourselves to be weak then the power of God works through us even more. The fact is that we are not supposed to act strong, we are supposed to act weak. We are supposed to give in and yield and do what is before us to do.
But I very often don’t. I get angry. I yell. I curse. I swear. I fight and get upset. This is not the right way to handle the situation before me.
I need to learn to be weak. To accept the situation before me, or to get on my knees and to confess to God that I cannot accept the situation, in fact I do not want to accept the situation before me. I have to confess my stubborn will that cannot accept criticism, persecution, pain and suffering.
Lord help me. I don’t want to be weak. Yet I know in my heart that I cannot handle the things that are before me. If I try to handle them the way I want to handle them, they don’t turn out well. Your word says, “Lord, your will be done. Not my will, but your will. Lord my will is strong, it is self-centered. It is arrogant and not gracious. Help me to be weak and to confess my sin of strong willed behaviour before you.”
Paul said: “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul knew how to be weak. He knew how to trust in God. He knew how to die to his self and accept the punishment, and insults, and persecutions that God made him go through. God blessed Paul for going through those difficulties.
God said to Paul: ““My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
May we all become more like Paul and allow God to strengthen us and guide us as we allow ourselves to be weak. May God bless us as we die to ourselves and let go of the reactions of the flesh. May God help us not to react in the flesh. It is difficult for me, so I imaging it is difficult for you as well.