The Battle, The War, The Broken Body, The Shaken Mind, and The Bleeding heart.
It’s now been Seven years since I’ve started to own my faith in a real way. When I first started to draw close to God He led me in ways that were completely natural, and I would liken the attitude of my young self at that time to an army setting out. Impetuous, like a mighty man, stirring up new zeal with pomp and rigor, understanding dangers ahead, but naively courageous. Banner raised high and pride from ear to ear.
Over these 7 years there have been notable battles, turning points, and losses in the war. Like all veterans I have my share of war stories, and I can retell how God used me here and there, and everywhere. I can tell you all about where my strengths were put to use for the Kingdom of God, but that’s not where you’ll find me today or even for the last year for that matter.
Stripped. Like a fighter jet pilot, I’m shot down, unable to use what I am most proficient with in war, but this was all part of God’s plan.
Deserts. Suddenly, we’re unable to work in, or go through our lives with ease and comfort. We’re not on a roll. The going is like swamp muck up to the chest and every step is difficult, hard and harsh, but here’s the catch: God is glorified. This is where our are weaknesses lie, this is where we’re wounded, and this is where the enemy tries to break you down and eat you whole, but this is where God wants to heal, to bind up, to restore, and to bring true freedom to your life. Not only that, God will do incredible works with your weaknesses.
Ephesians 3:20 declares this,
“Now to him (God) who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,”
and then if we couple it with God’s promise in 2 Corinthians 12:9 , “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
We have the perfect weapon: Our weaknesses. When given to God, Weakness is incredibly powerful. When Christ came to earth He was broken bruised and His blood spilled on the ground, but it was life to us. No greater act of Love has ever been evident.
This is what it means when the Bible says “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
When I look at my difficult times in my faith some of the most reassuring people were those with crushing weaknesses. One for example, was a man with a psychological state that was so distorted that he couldn’t hold a job down for any prolonged period of time, but despite the state of His mind God used Him to show me truth about life and love. Another is a beautiful girl with a heart and joy that is undeniably out of this world, but she is plagued with a heart condition that keeps her bed-ridden. I learned more about God’s love with a few hours with these two than with countless hours studying and trying to understand meaningful living.
I can’t even begin to understand the work of God in the lives of broken people and I remember 2 Corinthians 4:7 “and that we have the treasure of God in Jars of clay to show the surpassing power does not belong to us.” and If I continue reading that passage I see that we are afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down, but we are not destroyed. Everything is taken from us except our faith, and in fact we die in the end, but it works life to those around us.
It’s a beautiful paradox of the Gospel that “…God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” 1 Corinthians 1:27
At our weakest God uses us the strongest, but we must keep our faith strong and “believe that He exists and He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
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God Bless.
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