For those who read my meditations regularly, you know I am intrigued by the sweep of paradox in scripture. Strength in weakness is one of the most difficult concepts to put my head around since the display of strength is my security blanket.
II Corinthians 11:30-31
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying.
Back in the day, I worked with a small group of friends to build an avant garde dance theatre company in New York City. These types of projects are always a bit “hand to mouth” and poorly funded. It can be very stressful. I was in charge of the finances (using mostly my personal funds) and the administration of the company in addition to working full time and going to school. After a year of this, I was at the breaking point. At one of our meetings, I confessed, I was falling apart inside and I couldn’t continue to be the rock anymore. They would not allow it. “You have to be strong. We depend on you to be strong.”
And then I knew we had, all of us, put our confidence in the wrong thing: my strength and confidence That kind of strength is an illusion.
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. [Psalm 18:32]
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. [Psalm 46:1]
But God cannot arm me with strength or “be” my strength as long as I continue in the “world’s strongest woman competition.” I have to believe in the promise. I have to be willing to reveal my weakness and only then will God’s strength be visible. My strength is a mere veil to the real thing.
Some of the tools:
- Be willing to say, “I don’t know.”
- Choose silence.
- Acknowledge the successes of others.
- Accept mistakes.
- Forgo the praise of others.
- Relinquish control.
- Embrace the feelings.
- Open the heart.
- Submit to outside circumstances.
- Build trust.
- Pray.
- Respond to the Holy Spirit.
It is one thing to talk about paradox but it’s another to actually live it. This takes a great leap of faith. It’s time to jump.
Meditations from Zion 
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