Our utter dependence on Christ is one of our greatest gifts. While it frustrates our flesh, offends our pride, and hurts our feelings, it is the making of us. As we live in this world, our weakness is our greatest strength. Imagine, the only strength we have to affect Life is through our weakness! Life lived through weakness is the only power to see goodness and godliness through our lives.
My Weakness, Your Weakness
I can look at your life and see areas you might need to change and you can do the same for me, but changes made from these opinions don’t make a happier life. Even if I did everything “correct” I still would not experience God or godliness. Christ’s Life is our only answer, and His answer is only achieved through our dependence and weakness.
What if I was not living life by mustering my best effort but instead experiencing real Life through embracing my weakness?! How can this be? Because Life erupts from weakness not out of my strength.
The Apostle Paul said, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Some versions say “glory in my weakness.” Paul came to the place where weakness was something to celebrate not resist. And there is only one reason why he would celebrate his weakness…because Christ Himself would be Paul’s Life and strength. And this is the position we’re all intended to live in. In weakness is our Strength!
No Reliance on My Weakness
This takes the pressure of performance off my plate and allows me to settle into reliance. Oh, I love that word. It’s a Life lived where Christ is my very Life and effort. The only work I must perform, which is the greatest of all works, is just to believe. Our faith is in His Life while we live weak and void of self-strength.
How do you do this? The Word says that we reckon ourselves dead. To reckon is a mathematical term of fact. It is an accounting term. 2+2 has always equaled 4, regardless of any worldly condition or factor. This is the way God-through-Paul called us to view our self-life—counted as DEAD. This is also how we embrace our weakness. Christ is my strength because I am dead.
I have written about this before but when I was a little boy I resisted singing the line of the Jesus Loves Me song, “They are weak, but He is strong!” Perhaps I just didn’t want to be that vulnerable to anything or anyone. I came by this honestly; our parents Adam and Eve didn’t like this state of being much either. But the experience of Life is expressed through my weakness. Truly, “I am weak and He is strong” was a beautiful promise and most amazing gift.
I have been experiencing a period of extreme weakness and helplessness and it has been the greatest blessing of my life. I have had to draw closer and lean heavier than I ever have, and the absolute knowledge and sense of His presence just brings forth praise. I wouldn’t trade this time for the world. Will He in time lift this? I don’t know, but I’m willing for whatever He brings. Love to all. Wanda
Beautiful Wanda. I have watched Martha in the same position lately, and in this I too have had to be both strong while incredibly weak. It is a blessed place but sometimes in the middle of it all, we can be tempted to think it is not the blessing it is. I celebrate your victories and rejoice in your loving leaning. He does make it a treasure. Thanking Him that the leaning is into such a beautiful Beloved. Love you Wanda!
After I came to know Christ, I lived in my own strength for many years. God brought storm after storm into my life to exhaust me of all ‘my strength’. He brought me to a point where the only way was to say “I give up. Please take over”. Once God taught me this blessed truth, what a burden I was released from ! This was such a timely message. Thank you John. I just experienced a situation this week which was very overwhelming for me. I suddenly realised that I was trying to do it in my own strength.… Read more »
Thank you Manju for the wonderful comment. Appreciated hearing from you. Oddly, living in weakness is a like a muscle that strengthens with use. But by living in weakness, your dependence also increases. So my answer would be yes and no. ? The goal of living in weakness is to live leaning on your Beloved. With this as the motivation, it makes it all worth it. Yes, we can come off the rails and “Just Do It!” at any time, but the rewards of living leaning upon the Lord are so much greater than the illusionary gains I make by… Read more »
Thankyou for the reply.