One time I was ministering in Nigeria and sharing how marvelously God has moved in my life whenever I finally become willing to stop avoiding my weaknesses or putting up a front of “faith” (strength) and rather embracing my weaknesses. I shared how I was delivered from alcohol this way, delivered from being independent and having an irritable edge toward my family, and even learning to deal with cross-cultural differences working in missions by doing this. I still remember the day, after years of frustration in the third world, thinking, “What if they do rip me off a little and get a little more money out of me for some service or repair, does it really matter? These people have nothing”. I embraced weakness and let go of my “rights”. Anyway, some of the Nigerian pastors came up after the message saying, “We never share our weaknesses, only our strengths and victories”.
Most of the church lives right here, just like the world system does. Not much changes from high school really. Oh, we become more sophisticated in how things are presented, but there is still a standard of acceptance and honor toward those who come from the “right” family, drive the “right” car, wear the “right” clothes or play sports well enough. Many churches and ministries still operate with an “in-crowd” mentality. I’ve been at minister’s meetings where the pastors are asked, “So, how many were in attendance in your church last Sunday?”; or the missionaries stand around and try to top each other with their latest mission trip’s feat of how many were saved or healed or how desperately poor the people they reached were or how dangerous the place they went to was, etc, etc.
Our fellowship with one another can end up being based on our strengths rather than our weaknesses. Church life becomes a subtle game of “one-upmanship”. What freedom there is in simply letting down our walls, all our works and strivings just to be acceptable!
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Excellent message. Pam
Just about all of your messages are very helpful to me, but I actually copied this one so I could read it over every so often. At any time, it’s easy to slip into sharing our strengths instead of how our weakness is made strong through Christ. I often think of the comment, There’s no telling how much we could accomplish if no one cared who got the credit.
Robert and Cyndy: Thank you so much for helping all of us grow in grace. It is a process, I know. I just Hope that Jesus will never quit messing with me,(and I will never quit allowing Him to) helping me to also help the people He places in my life. Sometimes, it appears that I hurt rather than help. Sometimes, it difficult to discern whethr it’s them or me that needs help. Truth be known, it’s probably both. God help us all and to all a good night. Sandra