The Junk Drawer: Stronger - Wednesday
2 Corinthians 12:10
…For when I am weak, then I am strong. (CSB)
I am honored and humbled to say that I am an alumnus of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. What is common in all military settings is the indoctrination phase of development. The purpose of this phase is to break down a recruit and mold them into a person who embodies the characteristics and values of the institution or service. A phrase that is often used at The Citadel is, “the sharpest blades are forged in the hottest fires.” The grueling process of becoming a cadet challenges one physically, mentally, and emotionally. What happens is you begin to lose your dependence on yourself and are forced to rely on your classmates for the strength to continue in the process.
Read today’s verse, without context, a few times and you might be left scratching your head in confusion. How can someone be weak and strong at the same time? The math doesn’t seem to add up there, but thankfully we had the opportunity to unpack this a little bit over the last couple of days. Hopefully, you’ve begun to understand that one of God’s greatest desires for your life is to become more and more dependent on Him. Similar to my initial example, when the heat of life is turned up and we are met with hardships, we no longer can depend upon our strength to get us through. We are left with no choice but to lean into God and depend on Him to carry us. Oftentimes, like Paul, God brings us to a point of weakness, an ‘end of yourself’ if you will, so that we have nothing left to do but ultimately trust that He has us. If you find yourself in that place today, be encouraged, there is no better place to be than in a place of dependence on God.
Wednesday’s Reflection
Isaiah 40:31: But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (NIV)
