This morning, so many people woke up and couldn’t dream up the strength to get out of bed. I can think of ones who face chronic pain and illness, ones who woke to support loved ones at yet another doctor’s appointment, ones who see an uncertain future for a rocky relationship, ones who approach what seems like an insurmountable obstacle. Their weakness is obvious to them, and might seem to disqualify them from moving ahead.However, these are the ones who find strength to move forward by caring for the sick, taking a step out of bed, loving the unlovable, stepping into the unknown and starting an uphill climb. And they do it because they have a big God who is enabling them to do so. These are the people who inspire me to remember regardless of the mountain in front of me, I can walk forward in the strength of Jesus’ Life within.It isn’t that I compare myself to these people and then realize I SHOULD have enough strength to do my own day if I just try hard enough. It’s that I recognize we all need Christ’s strength to do our days, and I am able to do things impossible to me in Him. You don’t need to try to generate enough strength for today. You get to acknowledge your lack and trust Him to be all that you need.I think often our culture pushes us to be independent, strong, limitless people. But we aren’t made to be any of those things on our own. When we require this of ourselves, we hit walls over and over.When I was younger, I would read biographies of famous Christians avidly. Many of them were wonderful people, but what I would take away was that I needed to try harder so one day I could be like them. I just wasn’t performing to the level of these big people in the faith.I love what Mike Wells used to say about this: “There are no great men of God. There are only weak men with a big God.” We don’t need to emulate those who have gone before and made it through crazy obstacles. We miss the point when we do that. The point was that these people depended on a great God who got them through.I do really love reading Hebrews 11 when the “heroes” of the faith are talked about. Almost every one of them had some major flaws and failings. They didn’t do it perfectly all the time. At some point, though, they trusted God and walked forward even when the way ahead was obscured.We don’t need to know what that looks like for tomorrow, or next week, or in 5 years. We simply trust God for this moment, waiting for His strength to get us through to the next one. He carries us with His tender lovingkindness. We can admit that we don’t have enough for any of the moments and He will move into that weakness to be all the strength we need.What a loving Father we have, who meets us in our brokenness and makes us whole in His Love! What mountain faces you today? Will you admit your weakness and ask Him to be your strength for today?But he answered me, “My grace is always more than enough for you, and my power finds its full expression through your weakness.” So I will celebrate my weaknesses, for when I’m weak I sense more deeply the mighty power of Christ living in me. So I’m not defeated by my weakness, but delighted! For when I feel my weakness and endure mistreatment—when I’m surrounded with troubles on every side and face persecution because of my love for Christ—I am made yet stronger. For my weakness becomes a portal to God’s power. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
How Do You Find the Strength for Today?