People who are driven by nature fight through their weaknesses. They rise above emotional hurts; they battle through physical limitation and they resist evil attacks. Yet, there are times and even seasons of life when we are overwhelmed and are overcome by the frailties of life.
An old theologian, François de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon, has some thoughts that I think are relevant to all of us in this journey. His thoughts below were written to a friend of his, a leader who was in the middle of one of those harsh seasons.
Fenelon's Thoughts on Weakness
"You are in God's hands. You must live as if you were to die each day. Then you will be quite ready, for our preparation for death simply consists in detaching ourselves from the world to attach ourselves to God.
While you are so weak, do not put the constraint upon yourself of making your prayer time so regularly. Such exactitude and such application of mind might do harm to your feeble health. It is quite enough for you in your present state of weakness, if you again place yourself in the presence of God when you perceive that you are no longer there. A simple and familiar companionship with God, in which you can tell him all your troubles with perfect trust in him, and in which you can ask him to comfort and strengthen you, will never exhaust you. It will nourish your heart."
(Talking With God)
God's Word on Weakness
So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.
Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 ESV)
Written By: Pastor Lee Stephenson
