Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Power in Weakness

A song we learned as children told us of Jesus' love and we can find His strength in our weaknesses. Yes Jesus loves me (and you). The Bible tells me so! As adults the world will tell us we must be strong. The truth is God loves to use weak people.“I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 A weakness is any limitation that you inherited or have no power to change. Everyone has weaknesses. In fact, we have a bundle of flaws and imperfections: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Usually we deny our weaknesses, defend them, excuse them, hide them, and resent them. This prevents God from using them the way he desires.

When you think of the limitation in your life, you may be tempted to conclude, “God could never use me.” But God is never limited by our limitations. Sometimes, however, God turns strength into a weakness in order to use us even more. Jacob was a manipulator who spent his life scheming and then running from the consequences. One night he wrestled with God and said, “I’m not letting go until you bless me.” God said, “All right,” but then he grabbed Jacob’s thigh and dislocated his hip.

What is the significance of that? God touched Jacob’s strength and turned it into a weakness. From that day forward, Jacob walked with a limp so he could never run away again. It forced him to lean on God whether he liked it or not. In crisis we need to do the same.

If you want God to bless you and use you greatly, you must be willing to walk with a limp the rest of your life, because God uses weak people. In your weakness you will find God's strength. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world! Amen?