You're not Strong Enough

I can't tell you how many times a week I see posts that say, "Life is tough, but I'm tougher", "Believe in yourself" or "I'm strong enough to handle anything life throws at me". However, in the midst of reading this I realized that this is another "Follow your heart" situation (if you don't know what I mean read Jeremiah 17:9, Matthew 15:19, Psalm 73:26 and a number of others. You definitely don't want to follow your own heart). What these quotes are really saying is "I'm strong enough to handle life without the One who gave me life." Let that sink in.

If you know me personally, you know that I am a highly independent person. Growing up, quotes about being "strong" were my favorite because, in essence, it was me. I was the strong one. I was the one who didn't cry, the one who stood up for herself (even when I clearly needed to just shut my mouth), and the one who people recognized for her "strength". I was saved, but didn't realize my need to constantly turn to God, because why would I? I was strong enough.

The irony in that last statement hits home, because in the dark menacing nights I knew that couldn't be further from the truth. I remember crying myself to sleep at night because I carried my burdens all day. I remember self-harming to feel something because I was too "strong" to feel sadness in front of people. I remember faking laughter because I didn't have pure joy. I remember that being strong alone truly wasn't being strong at all.

The first time I cried in front of my older sister was when our dad was in the ICU, the day he passed away. She looked at me and said, "I don't think I've ever seen you cry before. You're always the strong one." That day I realized that it was okay to not be okay. I realized that my own strength wasn't going to pull me through this time. For the first time in my life, I needed to fully surrender the pride I had and lay it at the feet of Jesus. I realized I didn't need to be the strong one because I had my hope in the strong One. What strength I found in weakness.

The true fact is that we aren't strong enough, because if we were God wouldn't have sent Jesus to save us. Someone who is strong enough doesn't need saving, and the only living breathing One who never needed to get saved was Jesus. Because He was the Savior, not us, and we will never see that we need a Savior if we continue to have a savior mentality. And, my sweet reader, that's when the world has you right where it wants you. Rather, satan has you right where he wants you.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says, "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."

Notice how it doesn't say "...for when I am strong, God is even stronger." Why? Because God's infinite power doesn't depend on us. Let me repeat that: God's infinite power doesn't depend on us. It doesn't depend on how strong we are, because our human strength lined up next to God's almighty strength is of no equal. God wins every time. Can I get an amen?

We are servants, not saviors. And the beautiful thing in that is that when we press into our King He lavishes us with what we need. And what He gives is far more than we could ever ask for, or muster up on our own.

So, I want to challenge you with this: Whose strength are you relying on?

A good way to find out is by asking yourself "How often do I pray?"

{Humble yourselves. Become meek. Rely on His strength. Pray about everything.}

Strong Enough - Matthew West 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knuHDPbE5es


Proverbs 28:26 P
"Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are