Marydean Draws: neediness

Showing posts with label neediness. Show all posts

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy, never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it

Mount of Thy redeeming love

I don't know about you, but my heart easily gets out of tune. We've been in a long season of God doing something, but we're not sure what. I don't know when or how it will all end. Sometimes discouragement sets in. Self-pity. Hopelessness. Distraction. Sometimes I want to talk to God; sometimes I blame him for where we're at. Sometimes I'm okay; sometimes I'm not.

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Yesterday, I was reading Lysa Terkeurst's It's Not Supposed to be This Way,** and I was encouraged.

She writes, "And while I know in my head that God will somehow, someday turn all this around for good in my life, too, my heart isn't so sure some moments. The intensity of the pain gives me a propensity to doubt."

She suggests in these times when we're wrestling with unbelief that "we just have to make the choice to see Him and rightly attribute to Him the good that does exist. I truly believe what keeps us on the path of longsuffering instead of veering off in the dangerous direction of wallowing is to wake up with great expectation of these little reminders of God's goodness."

Remembering God's goodness is like regularly stopping to drink from a stream as you journey through the desert (Isaiah 43:19). It doesn't take away the desert's hardships, but it sustains you enough to keep going.

So yesterday I chose to count the goodness I could see:

the beautiful faces of my sweet girls

a little four-year-old hug around my thigh

the angled profile of my man

the original oil painting I splurged on last year

the warm spaghetti dinner the kids helped me make last night

the prayers and encouragement of my dear friend

Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it

Mount of Thy redeeming love

Not much changed externally, but God again tuned my heart to sing his praise and fixed me firmly on his love.

I'll need to be re-tuned again soon, I'm sure, but today I can keep going.

p.s. If you like this hymn, there's some original art and prints in the shop painted on this beautiful hymn and others as well.

**affiliate link. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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February 21, 2019

Tuning my heart

I was reading Psalm 109 this week and thought, "Wow, David sounds kind of dramatic here." Most of the Psalm is David pleading for God to punish his enemies harshly, cut off their posterity, blot our their names and their memory from the earth, etc. The usual.

He laments:

"For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is stricken within me.
I am gone like a shadow of evening;
I am shaken off like a locust." Psalm 109:22-23

I think I was feeling a battle of my values, or, maybe you could say, my cultures. My American culture values strength and stoicism, independence and individual freedom.

The American Psalm might go something like this:
Pull yourself up by the bootstraps,
such is the one God helps.
Self-made hustlers,
push past pain.
Whiners aren't winners,
so don't be dramatic.
Ignore all the critics.
Stay positive and
make lemonade from those lemons.
Only you have the power to
wield your future.
It's all in your hands.
Your only limit is you!
So believe in yourself.

(Thanks Pinterest for the wealth of memes.)

Then there's my Kingdom culture, the culture of my God who calls himself a Shepherd and Father. It struck me that David's honest lament is exactly why God loved David and called him a man "after my heart" (Acts 13:22).

God devotes a whole book of the Bible to a collection of outpourings of David's heart--literally at the heart of our Bible.

"Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us." (Psalm 62:8 ESV)

God didn't value David for his stoicism, his bravado, his independence, or his puffery; He prized him for his honest humility. God drew near to David because David drew near to Him.

See, being honest about your feelings before your Father (and others) is not being dramatic; it's being human. And God meets humans in their honest humility. That's also where humans meet other humans.

There's no shame in being a human being created in the image of God, made to live in a dependent relationship with God. Needy is not bad; it's just where you expect those needs to be met that gets tricky.

I know it's uncomfortable to sit with hard feelings, to say
I'm sad.
I'm afraid.
I'm angry.

It's hard to sit with those feelings long enough to bring them before God.

It's so much easier to run, to numb it, to distract ourselves. But the consequences of not bringing our hearts before the Lord is ruining us--with anxiety, depression, addictions, distractions, idols of our hearts.

I know the struggle well. And I'm wrestling here between these two cultures. How about you?

Today, I've created a shareable image below that you can save and share on social media to start a conversation (if you're so inclined 😉) or just save as a reminder for yourself.

click to save:

PRAYING the Word

Jesus, thank you that when we draw near to you, you draw near to us (James 4:8). Teach us to live as you intended us to live--as humans in a relationship with you. Teach us to pour out our hearts at all times before you like David. Let our laments lead us to worship you for your faithfulness.

QUESTIONS to consider:

1. What do the Psalms teach you about how God relates to you and your emotions?
2. What are some consequences of not being honest before God?
3. How can honesty about emotions benefit interpersonal relationships?
4. How did Jesus deal with emotions as a human?

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October 24, 2018

Am I just being dramatic?

"Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of Israel his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!" (1Chronicles 16:9-13 ESV)

Happy new year dear friends! As I start this year, there are a couple of things God seems to be teaching me, things I want to work on with His help this coming year:

1. As the steward of my soul, I am responsible for taking care of myself. At times, I have been passive about the care of my body, soul, and mind, maybe afraid to be selfish. But I'm learning in the book Boundaries by Doctors Henry Cloud and John Townsend** that "appropriate boundaries actually increase our ability to care about others. People with highly developed limits are the most caring people on earth."

While it's God's plan for me to be in community and depend on and support others, only I know how my life feels and how it affects my heart (see Proverbs 14:10), so I am the one ultimately responsible for its care--as I abide in Christ. I want to better care for my life so that I can be used by God in the lives of my people around me.

2. I must be face my weaknesses. I read in my devotional (New Morning Mercies by Paul Tripp**) yesterday morning that when we fail to face our weaknesses, we are basically saying, "I don't want to be who I am or face who I am." I certainly don't like facing my weaknesses. I want to be able to do it all, and do it well, and for everyone to be happy with me, but this is not the life God has called me to or given me strength for!

Tripp writes that "the great danger is your delusion of strength, because if you think you're strong, then you don't seek the help that you desperately need from the One who is the ultimate source of strength of every kind."

"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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV)

These are the lessons I'm learning right now. One outcome is that we have enrolled our girls in the local public school and taken a break from homeschool. It breaks my heart a little to give it up, but the girls came home happy and excited from their first day yesterday, and God has given them the sweetest teachers. This is one way I am trying to establish healthy boundaries and accept my weaknesses this year.

I am dreaming of things to create and share with you this coming year. I hope you'll follow along! For now, I'm sharing this hand-lettered phone screensaver of 1 Chronicles 16:11. What better way to enter a new year than to be determined to "Seek the Lord and his strength [and] His presence continually"?

To download, click on the image below and save to your device!

Books in this post (clickable links):**

*I'm so happy for you to enjoy my coloring pages and printables for your personal (not commercial) use! Use for Bible studies, church groups or events, and Sunday school classes are all fine! If you're in doubt, I'm happy to answer any questions. All artwork and photos are copyright Marydean Draws. If you share this, you're awesome (!), and as a courtesy, please link back to this post and not the PDF file. Thank you!!

** “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” Bascially, if you purchase something using these links, I get a small portion of the sale. It's a small way you can support the blog if you'd like. Thanks!

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January 4, 2018

Lessons for a new year + a 1 Chronicles 16:11 Phone Screensaver

James 1:4 Bible verse coloring page "let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing"

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." James 1:2-8 [ESV]

It's been one of those mini-seasons when everything feels hard--marriage, parenting, getting out of bed. Nothing bad is happening really, just our normal sin-bent selves playing bumper cars with other sin-bent selves. Collisions happen, especially in close quarters.

I don't always feel like this. So much depends on . . . hormones, chemicals in the brain, the weather, children's energy levels, napping or non-napping, and the state of my heart that's so easily affected by everything around me--from a news story to a social media post that makes me sad or reminiscent or insecure.

If you're a new reader, I'm a stay-at-home mom, a homeschooler, and a pretty solid introvert. I love people, my people, my church family, my friends. But that's only because Jesus has been working on my heart for a long time. Being around people a lot used to really grate on me and although much of that is gone, even now, Sunday mornings usually leave me drained. Social events call for a follow-up nap, and my normal days--well, they require a couple of hours of quiet in the evenings.

My choice to homeschool did not spring from my endless supply of patience for my children. To make our days work for us, we usually have mandatory rest time for at least an hour and a half in the middle of the day. The girls either nap or play in their rooms, usually while listening to a book on CD.

But right now the baby is taking a late second nap because he still takes a good morning nap, which allows us to get our read-alouds done. So we are all up until about three in the afternoon to ensure that everyone is down for rest time at the same time . . . and going that long without a break is draining me. We will probably need to make some kind of transition at some point, but this is where we are right now.

God has given me beautiful, creative children. One sings and talks her way through life with a vocabulary beyond her years. Another bounces constantly and knows how to make the other crazy. Another is just too sweet for words and has a love for dirt. I'm so blessed, but they drain me. I adore them, but they annoy me. I hold these contrasting truths in constant struggle.

Today, my mom, bless her, is spending the afternoon with my kids while I sit in this quiet office I have carved out in our laundry room. Mama bear in her cave, I say. And I'm typing out my heart.

In some ways I feel so unsuited for full-time motherhood, and especially homeschooling. Why would God call me to something SO HARD. While most of the time I feel confident that I heard God call me to this and that it's what He's prepared me to do, sometimes I wonder if we'd all be happier if I was doing something else.

But I think at the heart of my question is maybe a false assumption--if something is TOO HARD then it must not be God's will for me.

What is God's will for me anyway?

My pastor keeps repeating this verse as God's will for us: "Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24).

But that doesn't make a great motivational poster, does it? I'd prefer "Choose happy" or "Dream big, work hard" or "Darling, let's be adventurers." So much cuter than "take up your cross and follow me," right?

But we forgot Who is saying "come follow me." We forget that God is a Father, a loving Creator, a walk-alongside, Helper kind of God at the very same time that He is all-powerful and all-knowing. He is not oppressive. His plans are perfect, a banquet compared to our measly rice-and-beans dreams.

"And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:9-13

Do you notice that the "good gift" given in this verse is the Holy Spirit? Interesting. These verses seem to say that is what we should be asking for and seeking. That is, after all, Who I ultimately need, isn't it?

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." James 1:2-8

Did you catch God's will for you in the verses James wrote? My God's goal for me right now may not be my comfort. God's will for me is to persevere through situations that require my faith to grow and thus produce perseverance. He works towards my maturity and completion, so that I don't lack anything.

In my experience, the maturity that God has built in me has made my life so much easier on the other side of it. It's astounding to think that God knows my future and is preparing me for it right now, right here in my messy struggles.

It's also His will that I ask Him for wisdom in those situations, and it's His will to give it to me freely. He also offers me His Spirit, like He does for all who come to Him in repentance and faith in His Son. I'm not special in that way.

But I may be missing an important part of these verses--I have to ask. I have to seek out my God. It's not magic; it's just how a relationship works.

"My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." Proverbs 2:1-5

In my struggling, I have choices. In my pride, I can feel silly for struggling so much. I can condemn myself for not being stronger and bear a burden that Jesus already bore for me. A friend recently counseled us that we needn't stand as judge and jury over our feelings because they are just that--feelings that are a natural reaction to our world. Condemning myself doesn't change my feelings anyway; it just piles up more negative ones.

I could also attempt some kind of escape from my struggles. Quit, give up. This isn't really an option.

Or, I can call out for understanding and insight and wisdom from God. I can stand in full assurance of faith (not "double-minded and unstable") that God will give me what I need for today (James 1:8).

I have started to simplify my praying a bit lately and pray whatever Scripture I'm reading over the people in my life. So today's prayer is like this:

That in our struggles, we'd call out for the Holy Spirit.
That we would let God work in us so we can be mature and complete.
That we would call our for wisdom from God alone and that He would give it.

I know this has been a bit rambling today, but such is my heart. Thanks for sharing in it.

I'm sharing this Bible verse coloring page today as a reminder of God's work in you. You can download is HERE or by clicking the image below (usage below).*

Questions to ask about this verse (and James 1:2-8):

What is God's will for you from this verse?

How does He accomplish this plan for you?

What does God promise to give you when you ask Him?

*I'm so happy for you to enjoy my coloring pages and printables for your personal (not commercial) use! All artwork and photos are copyright Marydean Draws. If you share this, you're awesome (!), and as a courtesy, please link back to this post and not the PDF file. Thank you!!

If you like this, you can get these posts in your inbox by signing up HERE! You'll also receive occasional news from my Etsy shop.

March 3, 2016

Hard things, God's will + the perfect and complete Bible verse coloring page

Matthew 4:4 "man does not live on bread alone" printable coloring pages

I don't know about you, but I'm in a desperate sort of place. Fading are my illusions of progress and maturity. God help me practice patience today, I prayed this morning. God, forgive my lack of patience today, I prayed tonight.

My little people, my current calling, this winter gloom, my heavy heart, all leave me . . . low. Functioning, but low.

Maybe God is stripping away the self-righteousness that keeps me from clinging to His righteousness alone.

I pray . . .
Jesus, help me die to myself today. Myself, my flesh, is a mess.
Jesus, help me live for your approval, not everyone else's that I so desperately care about.
Jesus, make me be a slave to your Spirit. Mine is unruly.
Help me.

I used to think that if I studied the Bible enough and knew enough, then that would be enough. And I'm not arguing that I need some new word, some new revelation. What He has already said in His inspired Word is enough for me.

But friends, I still need HIM. I need Him to make His Word make sense and to break through to my stubborn, discontented, struggling heart. I need Him to apply Scripture to this life I live.

"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" Psalm 27:14

WAIT.

So I keep reading my Bible ploddingly, even when the words fall on a dull heart. I write here, calling to mind those precious words, some planted long ago in Awanas, or a late-night read as a middle schooler, or a women's Bible study (I remember words but usually not references--I'm terrible with numbers and am a relentless Googler).

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 (Jesus quoting this passage from Deuteronomy 8:3: "And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.")

Waiting means trusting in the quiet spaces. Waiting means clinging to truth whatever my feelings. Waiting means hoping.

"Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food." Isaiah 55:2

"LISTEN diligently," writes Isaiah.

WAIT. LISTEN. Maybe you need to push aside the image of you alone in a quiet room with your Bible, basking in the morning sunlight. That's wonderful if that's your reality, but let's replace that image with one of you in the middle of your own brand of chaos--with a quieted soul. Waiting. Listening.

If you trust in Jesus, you are in relationship with a Person (a three-in-one), not an ideal, not an historical figure, not a mute idol. He loves you so much that He delights to take up residence in you, never to leave again. How would He not want to speak to you as you listen and wait for Him?

He sets the best table. His Word is precious and piercing, like the richest food that fills you with a single bite.

Can I encourage you and myself to keep seeking God in His Word, whatever that looks like in this season of your life? Can I encourage you to settle for nothing less that bread that fills and water that leaves you thirstless?

Here's a printable coloring page of Matthew 4:4 for you to use! You can download the page HERE (usage below*).

*I'm so happy for you to enjoy my coloring pages and printables for your personal (not commercial) use! All artwork and photos are ã Marydean Draws. Please share freely by posting a link back to this blog post. Please don't repost the actual file. If you share this, you're awesome (!), and as a courtesy, please link back to this post and not the PDF file. Thank you!!

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January 13, 2016

Waiting on the Word and Eating the Better Bread + Matthew 4:4 Coloring Page

Isn't "help" such a simple, but beautiful word? It brings encouragement and relief. It says "You're not alone. I'm in this with you." This week my husband unexpectedly came home early from work one day and announced that he had taken the rest of the afternoon off. He would get the kids down for rest time and I was free to take a nap or do whatever else I needed to do. Truly, it was a beautiful thing for a napper like me, a gift full of grace and refreshment.

That is not a daily experience, but do you know what is? The help of my God.

I wonder--how do we picture God's response to us when we need help? Do we picture His annoyance? His aloofness? His coldness to our struggles? Get it together kid. We've got things to do. Why can't you be more like your sister so-and-so?

I was illustrating through some Psalms recently and came across these verses about God and help:

"The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." Psalm 46:7

"As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!" Psalm 40:17

"For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I am the one who helps you." Isaiah 41:13

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:15-16

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save;he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love;he will exult over you with loud singing." Zephaniah 3:17

"O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!" Psalm 71:12

I noticed a couple of thing about these verses as they relate to how God feels about helping us:

He is our GOD. He makes Himself available to us. In fact, He chooses to dwell in us.

He is our help. He Himself. Not a messenger, not a servant. His help is personal. He is "in your midst." He "takes thought" for you. He takes hold of your right hand and speaks the words you need to hear.

He says to come to Him boldly! Come before the God who rejoices over you and delights in showing you steadfast love and mercy (Micah 7:18). His love for you is so extravagant, it's almost embarrassing (the kind of love the older brother in Luke 15 despised in his father).

He longs to help us. I'm no perfect parent, but I delight in helping my children. I have one child who completely loses it when she gets injured. She runs straight past my open arms and up to her room for the comfort of her special blankie. This reminds me of the words Jesus spoke about His longing to care for His people who remained resistant and even antagonistic to His love:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" Luke 13:34

Just as a newborn baby grows in trust each time a parent responds to his cries, we learn increasing trust each time we cry out and God faithfully responds. This is the relationship God is calling us to throughout Scripture. Trust in me! Come to me! I do not fail!

I have experienced God's help over and over again from the smallest details of my life to the biggest, from how I'm going to manage a certain schedule of events on a given day, to the bigger challenges of raising children, loving my church family, and sustaining a marriage. I trust Him because He's so faithful and so attentive to me. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if I'm His favorite (but I'm sure you are too!).

There's one more application as we think about God's willingness to help that I don't want to miss. What does this mean for the way we respond to neediness in others? We have been blessed to be a blessing. If God so treats us, how are we to treat others?

Here are a few ideas of how that might look:

Be somewhere where you have the chance to be "in the midst" of neediness (our churches should be great places to start, also our jobs, schools, neighborhoods)
Don't run from neediness. Be willing to let it get awkward.
Be a safe person who can sympathize with weaknesses rather than judge them.
Take thought for others. Show that you are paying attention. Anticipate what they might need in case they have a hard time articulating those things.
Make your help personal.
Rejoice in showing undeserved mercy and kindness. Love deeply.

I don't do these well, but I want to grow! Neediness makes me nervous and the thought of what helping may cost me makes me uncomfortable.

For this I need God's help. And that puts me right back in the place I started, the place where God is ready to act.

Help me now, Jesus.

More thoughts on neediness here:

WHEN WEAK IS STRONG

RIGHT NOW COUNTS + FREE PRINTABLE!

THE SKILL OF BEING LOW

THE TRUTH ABOUT NEEDINESS

HOW I DEAL WITH DEPRESSING DAYS

If you like this, you can get these posts in your inbox by signing up HERE! You'll also receive occasional news from my Etsy shop.

September 24, 2015

Help me now, Jesus

Have I mentioned that this season of motherhood is wearing me out? I know I'm not the only one feeling more weak than strong these days.

We all have our own brew of weaknesses made up of internal and external factors.

My recipe? Allergy headaches. Anxiety. Depression in the family tree. Introversion in house of chatty girls. Seven months of interrupted sleep.

Sometimes I wonder why God knit me together this way (Psalm 139:13). Wouldn't I be more effective strong?

Over and over I am drawn to Paul's passage on weaknesses in 2 Corinthians:

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Why would God allow Paul, his star missionary to the Gentiles, to be hampered by a harassing weakness? In response to Paul's repeated requests to remove this weakness, God assures Paul that He is enough and that weakness is the perfect place in which to display His power.

But why would this be true? Here are a few thoughts (some from Charles Spurgeon's sermon on this text here):

Weaknesses can keep you humble. Maybe you haven't been given extraordinary revelations and visions of heaven (2 Corinthians 12:1-2) like the Apostle Paul, but there are plenty of things in our lives that fan the flames of pride. Pride is so insidious, so damaging, God may allow weaknesses to keep it at bay.

“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6b

Weaknesses can keep you prayerful. When every day and even every hour is a struggle, prayers become urgent and desperate. In weakness, we realize independence and strength were only illusions made possible by the right circumstances.

"Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!" Psalm 130:1-2

Weaknesses can make you more compassionate. When you are weak, you are slower to judge others in their weaknesses. You know the grace and compassion Jesus has given you, so you can pass them on.

"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind." Philippians 2:1-2

Weaknesses make you valuable to the Church. Wait . . . what? Well, see for yourself in this passage that compares the Church to a body:

"The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." 1 Corinthians 12:21-27

Weakness in a Church family member is an opportunity to show that we value our members, not for what they can do, but because they are just that--family and fellow image-bearers of our Father. If we are tucking our weaknesses away where no one can see them, we are denying our family the opportunity to act like family!

Weaknesses can set us up to be all His. I love this quote from Spurgeon's sermon:

"Often, a man's sense of weakness arouses the whole of him; whatever there is in the man then comes out, it makes him intense in every part. Certain small animals are much more to be dreaded in fight than larger beasts, because they are so active and furious that they bite so fast. A man might almost as well face a hyena as a rat or a weasel, because these lesser creatures are all alive, and so intent on the attack, that they fight with their whole bodies; claws and teeth are all at work, and thus they become strong through that sense of weakness which causes them to use every atom of force which they possess. . . . Because I cannot do much, therefore I will do all I can. Because I have little power, therefore I will use all the power I have."

There is a strength is being stripped of the superfluous. You may not have an abundance of strength or time or whatever it is you think you need to serve God, but you can still be wholly His with what He has given you.

Weaknesses make us like our Savior. In life, Jesus emptied Himself of much of the advantages of His deity, taking on flesh. In death, He submitted Himself to the worst of man and gave up His very Spirit for us. Spurgeon put it this way:

"When was Christ strongest but when He was weakest? When did He shake the kingdom of darkness but when He was nailed to the tree? When did He put away sin for His people but when His heart was pierced? When did He trample upon death and the old dragon but when He was Himself about to die? His victory was in the extremity of His weakness, namely, in His death; and it must be the same with His trembling Church. She has no might; she must suffer, she must be slandered, and derided, and so the Lord will triumph through her. The conquering sign is still the cross."

If weaknesses can have such benefits, how then should we think about them? Paul wrote, "For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities" (2 Corinthians 12:10). The phrase "be content with" (ESV) or "take pleasure in" (KJV) is "eudokeō" in the original Greek, which means "to think it good" or "think well of."

We can think fondly of our weaknesses because Jesus is glorified right here in our mess.

We can think fondly of our weaknesses because God, in His great mercy, is lovingly hemming us in, graciously limiting us so we can nestle under His wings.

We may not enjoy being weak, but we can enjoy the ONE whose power rests on us in our weakness.

And so we can say with the Psalmist:

"The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance." Psalm 16:5-6

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August 6, 2015