Pages

Monday, February 3, 2014

Strength

Sometimes my dreams teach me a lot about myself. I don't believe they can be weirdly interpreted, but it is what is subconsciously in my brain so, occasionally, I pay attention. For example, last night I dreamed I was walking down the street ran into Justin Bieber  (VERY likely scenario ;))! I just gave him a quick hug and talked a bit, but, for some reason, the brief exchange deeply inspired him. He was so moved by me that he decided to change his life around and the dream ended with me bidding him farewell as his limousine headed to rehab.

Anyway! Maybe this was just a result of reading too many articles about the pop star's sad decline, but I think it also proved something about me. I really want to save people. I want to be the strong one for people to lean on and I want to be able to conquer the world. After all, who doesn't want to be powerful? Is there anyone who doesn't want a great life that inspires others?

Unfortunately, this "togetherness" is not a reality in my life. The truth is, I am weak in almost every way. I get so upset every time I break down. Why do I have such little control of my life?

Maybe it is cause I'm human? I was reading Mark today and came across the story of a father whose son was possessed by an unclean spirit. The father begs Jesus to save his son who is literally being destroyed by the spirit. The boy has been this way since childhood and no one has been able to cure him; the situation seems out of control. The father has no strength to save his son and Jesus is his last hope. He asked Jesus, if He can, to have compassion and heal the boy. Jesus replies with, "All things are possible for the one who believes."  So the weak father exclaims the famous, "I believe; help my unbelief!" The father has been given his strength: Faith in the power of Christ. Jesus heals the boy. (Mark 9:14-29)


Many of us feel like the father most of the time. We want to make everything better, but we are faced with the reality of our weakness. We look everywhere for help, finally falling before Jesus and begging Him to save us. We would do anything He told us to do if only it would fix it all. But the command Christ gives us is strange: Believe. Even this is hard for us, but we pray God will take our meager faith and do great things. He does. Jesus Christ renews even the most helpless situations, He is our strength in weakness. Our lives will never be so perfect that they will transform others, but luckily, it is not our life we are looking to and Jesus' life does inspire and it does bring change and His new life does save.

"Then they said to Him, 'What must we do, to be doing the works of God?' Jesus answered them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.'"-- John 6:28-29

No comments:

Post a Comment