Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Shana: This is Shana on Johnny Erickson Tada sharing hope. Johnny reminds us that none of us like to come across as fragile and weak because whether it's a physical limitation or an emotional weakness or something intellectual, no one enjoys looking ill-equipped, weak, and inexperienced in front of others. Well, listen now as Johnny explains.

Joni Eareckson Tada: To be weak and everybody around you know that you are weak, it sure does run against the grain of our human nature, doesn't it? And it is probably why the Bible makes much of weakness. In his word, God is constantly driving home the point, we are weak and he is strong. God is able and we are not. I remember when I was just in my 20s fresh off the Maryland farm and trying to do ministry business at Johnny and Friends. It was a brand new ministry. I didn't want to fake it, but at first I had a hard time reading the financial statements and boy was I embarrassed.

So, I asked the help of an attorney who was on our board and he gave me a crash course on I don't know fixed and cash assets, gifts in kind, revenue streams, budgeted and discretionary expenses, understanding of variance and how to come up with operational ratios. But I tell you what really helped me. You know what did? It was a book called Organizational Budgeting for Dummies. That book helped me feel a lot more confident in board meetings, but it did not come without a little humiliation. So, when we are weak, when our lack of ability is glaring to others, well, it's all designed by God to humble us.

It is the way of weakness. But just listen to what else the Bible says. In 1st Corinthians chapter 12 verse 22 God tells us that quote those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable. Did you catch that? Weak people, that is those who are driven to the ends of themselves, who lack mind or muscles or gifts or talents, those people only seem to be weaker. Yeah, on the surface we're frail and feeble and everybody knows it, but wait. It puts us in the best position to grab hold of the limitless power of almighty God and that's why you only seem to be weak cuz there's nothing weak about knowing you need to go to God.

What's more, in his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul even says that God's power is made perfect. It's complete in our weakness. God's power is is is best displayed through weak people and so what did Paul do? What does he tell us to do? He says boast about that weakness, celebrate your limitations for then you know that Christ's power rests on you. And I guess that's why I'm sharing this little story with you about my history with financial statements. I am not the brightest and the best, but I know my weaknesses and I am happy to say that they have driven me to God time and again.

And here is the lesson. The high and mighty in our world, the gifted, the talented, the well-positioned and the powerful, the so-called beautiful people, you know the successful people have no more access to the power and purposes of God than the most unlikely, weakest, most humble of God's servants. In many ways those rich, bright, intelligent, wealthy people may have less access because of pride. So, if you want the power of God to rest on you, then freely confess and speak up about those weak areas in your life. Confess your inabilities, humble yourself and say to a friend, how does this work?

Uh would you please teach me what I do not know? Help me understand this, would you? And if it is a matter of physical weakness, hey then ask for more help because truly when you are weak and when you admit it, you are on the road to having the power of God rest on you.