Just connect!

The world looks for the strong but God looks for the weak.

               The world hates weakness, and who wants? Who wants to be weak? No one! Everyone tries to prove themselves and tell the world that they are strong. People want strength, they want power. Nobody wants to fail.  Even me. We want to be successful, to be on top, to be seen by men that we are strong..

But deep inside of us, we know that we are not. We are weak. Praise God!

               
I am a person desiring to be strong. I want to prove something to myself, to others and to my God. But every time I tried, I always find myself drowned by the rivers of regrets.  I failed, I lose, I am weak, and I am disappointed by myself. I thought I am hopeless, but the truth I am not. Because I always see His lovely hands reaching me saying, "I'm here, do not be afraid!". He said to me, "My grace is Sufficient [enough] for you and His power is made perfect in  weakness. Paul said, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

                The world looks for the strong but God looks for the weak. Really??? Someone may ask me. And my answer is, Yes! Let’s look at these great people in history. Moses, a murderer, has a problem in speaking, and has insecurity in life, but God used Him to deliver His people from Egypt. Jacob wrestled with God and asked God for a blessing but He gave him a weakness, a wrenched hip, but the twelve tribes of Israel came from him. Gideon, from the weakest clan of Manasseh, and the least in his family was used by God to be a great conquering warrior in his time. Another is David, the youngest and known to be the weakest among his brothers but God anointed him as king and  became one of the greatest kings that ever lived. And there's a lot more, too many to mention here. But what I’ve learned is that God’s strength rest only to the humble in hearts, people who admit to God their weaknesses.Because in God’s Kingdom, the only way to be strong is to be weak. If you don’t have any weakness, I will tell you, you will not come to God for help. Let’s look at what Paul said about weakness,

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 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. (2 Cor. 12:8-10, emphasize mine)

                 Even though we are created in the image of God, created to be strong, but still, we are like appliances, nothing without the connection to the Source. We are nothing but a weak man trying to prove something but cannot prove anything until we are connected to the right source. Like appliances, in order for us to be us is the connection to the Power.  Some might think of pride, friends, education, achievements, money, etc. as a source of strength but these are not. I tell you, you are created in God’s image. Yes! We are created to be strong and it will only come out if we connect ourselves to God, the right Source. And the only way to connect is to be humble, admit to God our weaknesses and trust Him. He is the strength in our weakness!

                 Therefore, the only thing that I need to be strong is my weakness, for it gives God a reason to act on my behalf. Because I am weak, I need Him... I am weak. Praise God! In Him and through Him I am strong, because He loves me.

“The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:14)…… Jesus helps the needy. Just relax and trust your God. He loves you so much, and as a Father, He wants us to rely on Him and not on our own..

Paul said, " I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.." (Philippians 4:12, NIV, emphasize added)

Just like Paul, when I am weak, then I am Strong.....

Just connect!

 -Jayvee  Otares