What if the things we think make us weak are the very things God uses to make us strong?
Think about that for a minute. We live our lives in a world that portrays perfection as the only ticket to acceptance and normalcy. God looks at us, His creation, and says we are made perfect in Him. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “…My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” It is in our weaknesses that we are made strong through Christ.
So let’s talk about these weaknesses. They could be a physical disorder you are born with, a life changing accident that leaves you mentally or physically changed, low self-esteem, abuse that you have suffered leaving you in fear, a certain mentality passes down to you from your parents, these all could be considered “weaknesses”. But God takes moments, he takes lives that seem to be imperfect and makes them full, beautiful, meaningful, and perfect. We as humans are taught to see a fault and try to make it disappear. But what we should be doing is using our faults to make us stronger. God can do that.
Take David. He was but a shepherd boy. But when a giant began antagonizing his people he stepped up. He gave his “weakness” to God and God helped him by giving him the strength to kill the giant, Goliath. David took a stone and shot it from a slingshot hitting Goliath right between the eyes. The onlookers, probably a big group of huge, strong men, stood shocked at the sight they just beheld. God did that. Moses had a speech impediment. This is MOSES! The man who led the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage! But if we look to Exodus chapter 4 we can read that Moses is discussing things with God, telling him that he should not be the one God chooses to use because he is not eloquent, slow of speech and of a slow tongue. But God replies “Who hath made man’s mouth? Or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or blind? Have not I the Lord?” I believe God is here saying “hey, I made you just the way you are for a reason and I will help you do whatever it is that I call you to do.” I don’t know about you, but that just gives me faith. All around we can read and see that our weaknesses do not have to define us. We can see people who are born with no arms living perfectly normal lives because they chose to be better than who the world says they are. People born into families that were unsupportive, uncaring and abusive are overcomers and are now speaking positivity into children’s lives reminding them that they can do more than believe what their parents tell them they are. People like Bethany Hamilton who gets her arm bit off by a shark and doesn’t stop surfing! No, she continues to be an amazing surfer and an inspiration to everyone that despite what happens to us in our lives, we can rise up and continue on.
We will go through things in our lives. We will face situations that we think will kill us, but if we continue on, if we have faith, if we give our weaknesses over to God, we will come out the other side stronger. We don’t have to let what we are born with hinder us from being a strong person. We don’t have to continue the horrible legacy our parents and grandparents started. We can be better. We can be stronger than that. Today, look at yourself. Look at the beautiful person God made you to be and speak these things “I am strong. I have faith. I am better than that which has tried to bring me down. I will make it. I will overcome it. I will not stop until I believe it and live it. I am loved. I was created just the way I was supposed to be. I am perfect in God.” Then, smile and believe those words.
He gives us Roots so we can Fly. Roots and Wings.
