Weakness is a word that our society seems to think is an awful characteristic to have.... but with Jesus it is an awesome characteristic to have. I have begun reading the book called, "The Normal Christian Life" by Watchman Nee. My sister-in-law was the one who reccommended it to me and she just finished it. So the first thing that I have been thinking about this week is why do we pray that God would give us strength? In our heads when we are struggling with something we just want to get through the struggle as quick as possible and regain our life of normalacy, where nothing is challenging, we stay in our comfort zone, and we are lifted up.
Have you ever thought that we should ask to be made weak to be more like Jesus. Why should I be the one getting more strength, shouldn't I be depending on the strength of our Father? Shouldn't my strength be coming from him not myself? In my head this totally makes sense and I know it to be true, but living to be weak is difficult. Me as a SINNER wants to show others that I am strong, I know things, I have an answer for everything, and I can do it. I can do it if I try hard enough. No, I can not do anything if I try hard enough.
It is a scary thing to pray that I would be made weak, but as I continue to work through pride the only way humbleness comes is by being weak before Jesus. "God Does not Exist to make our lives better" http://laneannmiller.blogspot.com/2010/05/prayer-you-say.html . I think I am growing to understand my need to be weak, to expect suffering(for the benefit of being refined), and to give my entire life to Glorifying God. Are you striving to hold yourself together with your own strength? Are you depending on Father God to be your strength or are you trying to strengthen yourself? Are you running from trials and and stretching experiences or are you asking God what he wants to teach you in them? I pray that we are all made weak in Christ...really weak....and that we would know that he is the only thing we need.
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awesome post! John Piper did a sermon called "Christ's Power Is Made Perfect In Weakness" where he goes right along with what you are saying by close with this:
ReplyDelete"The ultimate purpose of God in our weakness is to glorify the kind of power that moved Christ to the cross and kept him there until the work of love was done. Paul said that Christ crucified was foolishness to the Greeks, a stumbling block to the Jews, but to those who are called it is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:23f.).
The deepest need that you and I have in weakness and adversity is not quick relief, but the well-grounded confidence that what is happening to us is part of the greatest purpose of God in the universe—the glorification of the grace and power of his Son—the grace and power that bore him to the cross and kept him there until the work of love was done. That's what God is building into our lives. That is the meaning of weakness, insults, hardships, persecution, calamity. "
Thanks for posting Leah, I enjoy your blog!
Leah, God is continuing to use your blog to touch my heart. Thanks so much. I havent been able to get out of my mind some of the words that you prayed over me on sunday. God used you so much, and I am so thankful for that. I am learning so much to depend on him, be weak and humble, and instead of running to my friends for help and comfort, I am running to the word. Keep the awesome blogs coming!! I'll be praying for you also.
ReplyDeleteAmanda