Recently, I had the opportunity to share in a "lock-in" setting with a group of young men at my church, between the ages of 11-18. For anyone unfamiliar with this type of event, it typically involves a night of recreational activities, food, and fellowship; culminating into group discussions and spiritual reflection. We asked the young men on this night, to write on slips of paper, ideas for a panel discussion scheduled for later. The instructions were, "They could ask questions concerning their faith in God in a specific area or the Christian faith in general." One young man wrote, "Why Do I Have To Be The Strong One?" The only catch for the exercise was they could not place their names on the paper, therefore, this question could have come from a 6th grader, just as well as, a 12th grader. To my surprise, it got me to thinking............
The thing I thought about most was that there was some young man amongst us who had already picked up the "baggage" or "burden" of believing that he had to to be the "strong one." The one who everyone looked to for the answers. Immediately I identified with this young man, simply because I was the older of two sons and fell victim to this line of thinking throughout most of my young adult life. That is, until I came across a scripture that changed my life in this area.
"I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." --- 2 Corinthians 12:10
The facts are (1) Infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions, and distresses are going to happen to all of us, (2) We are all going to face weaknesses during these times, and (3) We may even attempt to try to handle most of these situations on our own. The Apostle Paul presents a different point of view in this instance that reflects on our attitude, rather than our actions during difficult times. As a Christian, we should have an attitude that takes pleasure in the fact that God has allowed these calamities, especially if it's for the sake of the Gospel. Our first response is not to react, but rather, reflect an attitude of delight. WOW! Here's the liberating factor in all of this, our "weakness" during these times gives God an opportunity to show His strength through us. WOW!
"Are you telling me, that I don't have to be the strong one all the time?" Exactly!!! It's okay to cry, to lament, to let it out, to let that person know that you don't have the answers. Once you let go of your control over life's issues, God is right there for the believer to deliver His strength. So who is really the stronger one; the one who tries to figure everything out and be there for everyone all the time or the person who recognizes their weaknesses, gives it all to God, and allow him work it out?
---I'm Just Sayin.........
"Knowing your limits, helps you to know your God!"
---Shedrick D. Jones
Author of the
"Maximum Impact" Blog
