Hudson Taylor was a servant of God who did great work in China. Someone once asked him, “What was the secret of achieving so much in a single life – in such adverse situations?” Hudson Taylor’s response was “For many years, God was looking for a weak person that He could use and He was able to find that in me.” He gave God all glory and not boasting in his ability or commitment or passion for evangelism. God sees differently from the way man sees. In the kingdom of God, we can say that weakness is equal to strength. It means that if you can recognize your own limitations, you don’t have to be disheartened; because it is when we are really weak, that is when God can use us. On the other hand, if we think we are smart and have confidence in ourselves then will have to break us and bring us to a point of nothingness and give His power and use us. In the Kingdom of God, the formulas are different.
We know the story of Jacob. God had a plan for Jacob even before he was born and it is the same for all of us. Jacob was a man of exceptional skill and was a ‘smart guy’. He knew how to manipulate people and get what he wanted. The very meaning of the name Jacob is ‘grabber’. He couldn’t wait for God to work, rather he forced things to happen according to his ability and grab things. But before God could use him, He had to break Him. We know about how Jacob wrestled with Jacob all night and had to make him lame. That was the beginning of God’s work in Jacob. We can imagine how Jacob would always remember that day. The memory of God’s dealing in his life would keep him weak for the rest of his life. He had to acknowledge to the angel that he was Jacob – the grabber. And after breaking him, God changed his name to Israel. In our lives, it is good for us to remember the times that we lived with our own strength and also to remember the situations that God led us through to break us so that we would have no confidence in ourselves. The memory of where God had to touch us and cherishing it can remind us to keep ourselves weak so God can use us. That instance will mark a new phase in our lives. We may not say it out loud, but in our hearts we may boast about some natural abilities that we have. But it is good for us to become weak and experience God’s infinite resources available to be poured out into our lives. We are only instruments that God can use.
In the life of Moses also we see a similar thing. When God wanted to liberate His people from slavery, He chose Moses. Moses was a man who had a stammering tongue. In human terms, to lead 600,000 people, we would choose someone who had the natural ability to deal with these people. But God’s ways are different. When God called Moses, he himself recognized his limitations and we see in Exodus 4:10 he says, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” Moses knew his weakness in being able to lead the Israelites, specially this large group of rebellious people. Notice God’s answer to Moses. “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” When we see some disability or area where we are not so good, but we see that God wants to use us – this verse can encourage us. It is God who does all things. God has no limit. We shouldn’t have self-pity seeing our limitations. God is looking for people who will not boast in their own ability but will look to God for power.
In the Bible we read the word, ‘brokenness’. David speaks about it in Psalms 51:17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” There are some attributes which God is looking for. After all his failures, David came to the point of brokenness. People who are broken and contrite in their heart know how weak they are and have nothing to boast; and such people God will never despise. He will welcome them. In the Sermon on the Mount also we see that the first thing that Jesus spoke was, “Blessed are the poor in Spirit”. They know that unless they receive something from God they cannot survive that day. They continuously trust God alone. God is looking for such people. The Kingdom of God belongs to such people.
In 1 Corinthians 1:26,27 we read, “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong” God is looking for weak things of the world. God has no shortage of power. He is looking for people who will look to Him alone for power. What can we say about ourselves? Are we weak or strong in our own eyes. In my initial Christian days someone shared an expression which has stayed in my heart – “It is fine if someone doesn’t have the abilities or skills”. We don’t need to be worried if we are not particularly gifted or talented. It is good to have, but acknowledge that it is only that which I have received from God. God is looking for those who have a love towards God – that is the most important thing. If that is missing; there is something wrong. God have His son to save me and I should have a grateful heart and see what I can give back to Him for the rest of my life. God is looking for such people who have surrendered everything to Him. It is good for us to examine our lives – what are we looking for? What are we cherishing? Do we give our attention to our gifts and abilities or to the loyalty to God. To those who are loyal to God, He will reveal His power through them. God is looking for those who can be molded and used in the way that He wants.
We read in 2 Corinthians 12 about Paul. From verse 7 we read of something that was troubling Paul but he understood that God had a purpose for the thorn in his flesh. Paul understood that God wanted to keep him humble. Paul repeatedly asked God for deliverance. He prayed 3 times. We can understand his heart and how his prayer would have been so sincere for deliverance. The Lord’s answer is, “My grace is sufficient for you.” This is the answer that God wants to give us also in many of our situations. In our obstructions and through of pains many times this is God’s answer to us. This situation is not to crush us or destroy you and this situation is to keep you safe from pride. But God assures us that His grace will keep you safe in this situation. Jesus also said, “My power is perfected in weakness.” Can we say that this is true in our lives? When Paul heard this response from God, he understood what God said and was completely at rest. He didn’t fast and pray again for another 40 days. And then Paul said, “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” Paul understood the secret and he started boasting in his weakness gladly. In our lives also, it is good to understand God’s ways in our lives so that we will be at rest. Paul understood God’s heart and that God had Paul’s best interest when he allowed the messenger of Satan in Paul’s life. Paul says in verse 10, “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul was content with God’s dealing in His life. Paul understood the mystery – when I am weak, then I am strong.
May God help us to understand God’s ways in our lives and to realize that our weaknesses are actually our strength. Because when we are weak; the power of God is revealed in our lives. If God is speaking to us also that His grace is sufficient for us; then we too like Paul can be content in our weakness and boast about our weakness. If we see a tendency to boast in our strength, ask God to deal with it so that we can see our weakness and boast in it.
