Strength and Being Strong

2 Corinthians 12:10

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

I personally can’t say that I take pleasure in these things,  but I can definitely say that when I feel weak, then I am strong. That strength does NOT come from me,  but from my walk with Jesus and knowing that God is in control. It comes directly from Him.

I have experienced several hard things the past few years that made me walk closer and closer to Jesus to get me through. Even in the midst of some significant challenges,  I felt a sense of peace that not everyone understands, as it can only come from Him.

In times of trials, some people pull away from God,  get angry with Him, and possibly even question His existence. The more trying the trial I experience, the closer I want and need to be to Him. This doesn’t mean I just accept the trials, but it does mean I know in the end He is ultimately in control and I can trust Him to see me through them. I may not understand or know exactly how to handle them or when they will pass, but He does. For that I am extremely grateful.

During my mom’s most recent health struggles and then her passing from this world into the loving arms of Jesus I had no choice other than to be strong. There were things to be done and decisions to be made and God got me through it all as only He could. I can’t imagine going through life’s trials without Jesus.

Do you ever go through times where during the day you can feel strong and like you can conquer anything,  then you wake up in the middle of the night feeling insecure and weak and maybe even defeated? That’s definitely something I’ve struggled with in recent years from time to time.  Even when the weather is stormy, it seems more daunting if it occurs during the night vs. during the day. It’s as if when night time comes, your entire mindset changes.

I’ve been thinking about why things affect me differently at night. The only real difference I can put my finger on is the darkness. If that’s the only difference then that actually makes perfect sense. Not only can physical darkness cause feelings of despair and uncertainty,  but spiritual darkness does as well. The physical light of daytime is comforting and reassuring,  just as the light of Jesus is, if you truly know and trust Him.

Often parents will leave on a night light of some kind for babies and young children so they will have that feeling of  “comfort” and not experience the darkness. Some children experience what’s known as night terrors. Again, it’s an occurrence in the dark of night,  not in the light of day. If you’ve ever been present when a child has one of these it can be a very eery and helpless feeling. One of my boys had these and I remember sitting on the edge of his bed in deep prayer until it passed on multiple occasions. Darkness is simply the absence of light, and yet has such an impact on us.

There have been times when I’ve layed awake at night over thinking things, then morning comes and I wonder why in the world I thought what I did. There is no logical explanation more often than not. So in the darkness there’s a feeling of being weak, yet in the light a feeling of being strong.

Being strong doesn’t mean you carry it all and conquer it all on your own. It’s knowing where true strength comes from and being strong enough to realize you need help from the Father. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. We were never meant to carry the weight of the world on our own.

My daily quote calendar the other day said, God becomes most real in the darkness.  That is a very true statement in so many ways. When I’m struggling during the darkness, is when I call out to Jesus in a very real way and have an intense detailed discussion with Him. Do I hear an audible voice speaking back to me? No I don’t, but I do feel His overwhelming presence and I know that it’ll be ok in the end. The nights can be long, but the sun and the Son are still both waiting for you the next day.

The next time you’re feeling weak, whether it’s day or night, something big or small, cry out to Jesus, He’s waiting to hear from you. He can make you strong if you’ll allow Him to have control.

Psalm 29:11

The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.

2 Samuel 22:33

God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.

I am weak, but He is strong-Amen.