Strength in Weakness

As a man, I know how important it is to be strong. Men are supposed to be tough and show off their strength to others. In our society, this is ingrained in young boys. As they get older, strength and toughness is rewarded, leaving most men to believe that strength is the one of the most important aspects of a man. So it is not easy for me to admit I’m weak. It is even harder to find strength in my weakness. So when I read that Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5), I have a hard time accepting this. No man wants to be considered meek, especially an ex football player and future cop. Both football and law enforcement emphasize toughness and strength. But I know that I need to be weak in order to be strong.

In my relationship with Jesus, there is no room for me to try to be strong because I’m not. Anytime I try to do things on my own, I fail. Time and time again, I try to do things on my own without God. The outcome is always the same: failure. I can’t do things on my own because I’m just human. I have no control over nearly everything that happens in this world. But when I rely on the Creator of the world, I begin to have success, happiness, and fulfillment.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9, God tells Paul “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” At first glance, this doesn’t make any sense. How can God’s power be made perfect in weakness? We’ve all been told success comes from strength and doing things on your own. But God says that it’s the opposite. We are all sinners, so we’ve all fallen short of the glory of God. Therefore, it’s only through grace that we are saved. We accept God’s grace by surrendering our will to Him. Through this surrender, we have to admit our weaknesses. By becoming weak and surrendering it all to him, His power is made perfect.

So in 2 Corinthians 12:10 Paul says “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.” Only by surrendering to God and admitting weakness, can we begin to live. This is why I fail when I try to do things on my own. By attempting to be strong, I’m telling God that I don’t need His grace. And through my failure, God is telling me that I’m wrong. I don’t need to be strong on my own because I have a God who will be strong for me. He will help me in times of struggle, pain, and hardship. He will also celebrate with me in times of joy and success.

Right now I am trying to find a job and start my career in law enforcement. The hiring process for police officers is a long and drawn out affair. It includes a physical test, a writing test, a background check, an interview, a polygraph, a medical exam, and a psychological exam. Only by passing all these steps will I be hired as a police officer. It will be easy for me to try to do all this on my own. If I’m strong enough to be a police officer, I should be strong enough to pass these tests on my own. But I’m not going to do this on my own. I’m going to turn to my God who loves me enough to die on a cross for me. I will never understand God’s grace. But I am going to accept it and rely on Him to get me through whatever life gives me. I will admit my weaknesses because through God, when I am weak, I am strong.