We all have our strong points. We have those areas of victory in our life. Some are generous, others are honest. Some are talented, others are well-adjusted. But we all have our gifts.
Everyone has a weaknesses too. We ignore them, try to overcome them, and ultimately try to hide them; but they’re still there.
They frighten us. They make us second-guess ourselves. They make us afraid to try.
Our culture has taught us there are two kinds of people; the weak and the strong. There’s Rambo, and there’s the countless enemies he killed. There’s the guy that gets the girl, and the loser who is destined for unhappiness.
It’s no wonder we work overtime to hide our weaknesses.
God Made Us Weak
One thing we should always remember is that God didn’t just make us on purpose, he made us for a purpose. His plan is of paramount importance in His Kingdom, and in our lives.
- He planned to have David kill Goliath.
- He planned to have Moses deliver Israel.
- He planned to have Peter preach at Pentecost.
- He planned to have Paul be church planter.
God has a plan for each person, even before they are born. How many amazing stories will never be told because someone allowed their weaknesses to stop them from trying?
David & Goliath
Think about it. The champion of the Philistine army is taunting the Israelites, hoping to instigate a 1-on-1 fight to the death. The Israelites would have to send forth a champion to face him.
Who would have been the best choice to face Goliath?
If I had to choose, I would have picked out the biggest, baddest soldier in the army. Ironically, it was King Saul himself that stood head and shoulders over everyone else. Saul was a big man.
What kind of story would that have been?
The champion of the Philistine army falling to the King of Israel himself. You know God would have been with Saul in that battle. The only problem was, Saul refused to even think about fighting. In a move of absolute cowardice, Saul offers his own daughter as reward to whoever would be brave enough to challenge Goliath.
Who did God choose?
He chose the boy too young to be a soldier, with no training or battle experience. In other words, he picked the worst possible choice.
David had glaring weaknesses:
- He was not a soldier.
- He hadn’t trained for combat.
- He didn’t have any weapons of war.
- He wasn’t physically imposing at all.
- When he had the nerve to ask why no one was choosing to fight, his own brothers rejected him as a silly boy. When he volunteered to go, no one believed him, except for the coward Saul.
What did Saul try to do?
He tried to do the logical thing; he wanted to equip David with armor and weapons to overcome or hide his obvious weaknesses. But David did the most extraordinary thing; he refused to be afraid of his weakness.
Instead, he realized he was created weak by a God who had no weakness.
Saul saw his weakness. David’s brothers saw his weakness. The entire Israelite army saw his weakness. His enemy, the giant, saw his weakness. Goliath even went so far as to mock his weaknesses.
- Goliath mocked his lack of adequate weaponry.
- Goliath mocked his size and experience.
- Goliath threatened David with the pain and suffering of defeat.
In other words, David, you don’t have what it takes. You’re making a huge mistake and you’re going to pay a high price for your ignorant faith.
David made a couple statements that should keep ringing in our ears every day we face weaknesses. As he’s staring down this giant who he has no hopes of defeating David says:
“You’re coming to me with weapons made by man, but I’m coming to you in the Name of a God who has no weakness.”
That’s faith! The cause?
“The whole world will know there is a God in Israel. And It’s not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s.”
Facing Our Weaknesses
Remember, God created you weak on purpose, for His purpose. Rather than dealing with the weakness, we should embrace the weakness.
It’s in weakness that God does His most amazing works.
- He used David, a shepherd boy to kill the greatest warrior.
- He used a stuttering fugitive, Moses, to deliver his people from captivity.
- He used a cursing fisherman who denied him 3 times, Peter, to deliver the plan of salvation.
- He used a blasphemer and persecutor of Christians to be the greatest church planter in history and author of most of the New Testament.
What is your weakness? What have you been working most of your life to hide?
Don’t fear your weaknesses or your short-comings. Be honest about them, don’t hide them. Instead, embrace them. Step out on faith and watch what God can do.