Who are we? We are a bunch of people beset with many different types of weaknesses! Our weakness is seen when we disappoint others, when fear grips our hearts and we go into a state of panic, when we say the wrong thing at the wrong time and when we just simply fall flat on our face. There are no exceptions, we have our weaknesses.
As we examine Scripture, we see God always working with the weak. Abraham in his fear. David in his fear and flesh. Job wondering why while trying to establish his own righteousness. Peter who argued with Jesus and even told Jesus how things were going to be only to fall flat on his face of cowardice.
Take those weaknesses and put men in position as elders to shepherd the flock. They are spiritual men (or should be), men mighty in Scripture but still beset with weakness. We add deacons to serve in special ways that have weaknesses. Preachers (probably myself more than others) that teach/preach yet find themselves letting those around him down or failing at strategic times in their lives.
The church is full of weakness and yet we act like we are super strong! That reveals more of our weakness.Putting men in the positions that God wants, women who serve with openness and humility in heart and there we find the recipe for...weakness! It's not going to be great. In fact, God speaks that the weak, lacking member of Christ's body are given more honor from God (I Corinthians 12:24-25).
With all this, we can place our hearts in the hands of the eternal, Almighty God and watch Him do His work with all this weakness to which we will simply praise His name for indeed, holy and awesome He is while working with this large pot of weakness!!
1 comment:
I heard a similar thought expressed in a sermon last Sunday by Ian Bradshaw in Higden, AR... He quoted someone who said (excuse my less-than-perfect memory while I attempt to paraphrase) that the church is not a temple full of the super-religious, it's more like an emergency room staffed by the walking wounded.
We are all human. We are all imperfect. We all need to get over ourselves and let God have his way in our lives. Thanks again Brent for bringing out another great lesson from the word.
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