It’s not something we are comfortable with. When we bump into it, as we all inevitably do, our gut reaction is to feel embarrassed and exposed. So, we run. We try our best to hide it from others, and we try to pretend it’s not even there. We are so unsettled by its presence that we crave just the opposite. But eventually, we all must face it. And how we respond to it can have life-changing and eternal consequences.
What am I talking about? Our weakness. Our inability to meet a need we are faced with.
From childhood, we are conditioned to take aim and shoot it
down, to go to war with it. It just does not fit into our quest to be strong and
independent. And being strong and independent, standing on our own, needing no
one is the victory we’re after. Or is it?
Think about it. The last time you were faced with your
inability, how did you respond? Did you
become defensive and argumentative, angry, or ashamed? Did you burn the
midnight oil to come up with a solution on your own? Or did you ask for help?
Asking for help is one of the greatest lessons to master in
life. I can’t imagine how much pain we would avoid if we pushed our pride
aside, accepted our weakness, and asked for help. But so often, we struggle to
do this. It’s as if, our admission of weakness is too much to bear.
But, if we were to stop comparing ourselves to each other or
even to a perfect version of ourselves and compare ourselves to God, accepting
our weakness would be an easy thing to do. Next to God, I am nothing, and
neither are you and we can do nothing. He is the Creator of all things seen and
unseen, and His power is without limit.
God hasn’t created us to be strong and independent, to do
life on our own. He has created us to live branch lives, to be fully
dependent on Him (abiding in Him) as we thrive in community, in relationship
with Him and others.
This 'branch life' is totally counter-cultural. In fact, it
goes against our very grain. We don’t like being dependent. We kick and fight against
it, but the reality is we are. When we stop fighting and finally accept our
weakness, it’s not the pain we imagined it would be. In contrast, it opens the
door for us to receive grace, to live in community, and to experience the full
(and dependent) life God offers us.
'The branch life gives power for prayer. We are branches of Christ, the Living Vine. We must simply live like branches - abide in Christ - then we will ask what we will, and it will be done unto us.' ~Andrew Murray
But we have to start with admitting our weakness. We spend
so much of our lives avoiding the issue and ignoring the conversation. Why not
take some time to sit back and look at your life? You won’t have to look far to
see it. And once you do, admit it. You are not able to do life on your own. Not
the full, thriving life you’re after. Then, once you’ve admitted it, accept it.
It’s okay. It is meant to be this way. We’re all in the same boat. Weak and
needful.
Then, my friend, simply ask God for help. Just think about it.
The Creator and Sustainer of the universe has given you everything you need for
life and is offering to walk with you and let His Spirit dwell in you. When you
accept His offer, you can become comfortable with your weakness, because with
Him, even when we are weak, we are strong.
‘His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.’ ~ 2 Peter 1:3 (ESV)
‘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 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV)
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What about you?
Where are you on the road to admitting, accepting, and asking for help?
Have you acknowledged your greatest need? Your inability to fix what’s broken between you and God?
Have you asked for His help and accepted His gift of a renewed life and relationship with Him?
And if you have, how are you doing with accepting your weakness and asking for His help in the day-to-day struggles of life?
God is waiting for you to admit, accept and ask.
What are you waiting for?
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May grace and peace be multiplied to you,
Carlie
