Saturday, March 22, 2008

For When I am Weak, Then I Am Strong



I just experienced the worst pain I have felt in the longest time. It feels like a hot festering sore that derives one to madness. I hurt some friends of mine because of some weakness and frustration that I was dealing with according to where I spiritually stand with the Lord and with these brothers and sisters! I don’t want to lead in to any great detail, but I know now what I am capable of and how quickly that I can lead to destruction. Its like finding out you like to smoke even if you know that it is not good for you. Not that I smoke or anything, but the nicotine in the cigarettes make you crave it and consequently, that crave could lead to lung cancer. I know what I was doing could lead to great destruction, but something about the issue led me to lets just say, lose my cool. I understand that we all have weaknesses in our lives, and some struggle with these weaknesses on a daily bases, (me too). I can’t start to understand the depth of pain I put on these people in my time of weakness and not having the mind of Christ. It happens so quickly and then I can’t take anything that I did or said back. But, there is hope in forgiveness and a fresh start; I am now experiencing. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 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.

1 comments:

Walking Church said...

Nic:

As I have gotten older, I have gotten better at extending mercy and receiving/ asking for mercy. I am by no means a pro!

It is an odd thing in the body of Christ that most of us are terrible at sucking up our pride and asking others for forgiveness. Mind you the body is bad also for coming and asking for forgiveness when they have hurt me.

Here is the oddity - and I believe Jesus spoke about it as recorded in the Gospels. We are quick to ask Father God for forgiveness...but we are so cheap in forgiving those who hurt us.

If my understanding is correct - we take mercy/grace and we extend it mercy/grace...just as freely it was given to us by God.

One last thought - someone once told me that people are a lot like family, like a brother or sister...some days you love them to pieces, while other days you want to poke out their eyes and punch out their teeth.

Be able to see that relationships go through seasons of coolness and passion (hot).

I think our pride writes off a lot of friendships prematurely - this goes for married folk as well.

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