Weakness Is Strength

I had been having a pretty rough few days. Everyone and everything was annoying me. It was hard to pinpoint exactly why I was annoyed and getting irritated with my husband and my kids. Then I realized it was my same old problem creeping back. The “voices” that I thought were behind me again taunted: You’re stupid and weak; you can’t do anything right. God can’t use you because you aren’t good enough. Your family doesn’t need you. I’m sure many of you reading this can relate to those voices. They can be very strong and overpowering at times and discourage us easily. Have you ever thought you are too messed up to be of any good to anyone?

 What helps me get through these times, besides the support of a loving family, are God’s promises. If we listen to His voice, He will tell us the truth. One Sabbath, during this time when I was feeling down, we sang—fittingly—a hymn whose words started going through my head, “I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord.”*

 How true that is! I do need Him every hour, minute, and second of every day. The negative words in my head are not God’s, but rather those of the great deceiver. He wants his words to make us give up. But God has different words. He tells us that He is strong when we are weak, and when we realize our weakness for the opportunity it is—to let God perfect us and His grace to cover our imperfections—then we can have victory. We are strongest when we are weak and rest in God’s strength. Paul said that the power of Christ is perfected in our weakness.

I know that you and I will still have rough days sometimes, but we have the promise that, despite our infirmities, we can rest in Christ’s strength and know His grace is enough. So the next time you feel less than enough—weak, powerless, and defeated—remember that you have a Father who has given everything to make you strong. He will always be enough for you if you will believe in Him instead of in the enemy’s lies.

Debra Snyder