A different kind of strong

Personal Photo: Clay and I live next to a park and I snapped this photo of a beautiful wildflower. It is so stunning and delicate. When my mom reminded me about the strength of fragility, the power if intricacy, this flower came to my mind. God loves us for who He created us to be, and what others may see as weakness is the perfect chance for God to demonstrate His strength through us!

Clay and I have been watching the live action television series about Jesus, called The Chosen. If none of you have ever watched it, I highly recommend. My family watches the show and we are moved by not only the accuracy in accordance with the Bible, but by the portrayal of Jesus and the people He encounters. It has helped me think of so many other aspects of the time that Jesus was alive. As I consider how the people of Jesus' time struggled to believe Him as the Messiah, I cannot help but understand how they would have expected a soldier, a mighty leader, or a conqueror, coming for a war. The fact that Jesus did not fit the idea that they had built in their minds made it a challenge to comprehend, and sometimes believe, that He truly was the Savior. Adding in other layers of complexity, like His breaking of common customs, challenging the human understanding of Scripture, and more, and it becomes a very challenging and unique situation that Jesus entered into and initiated. The problem was that people looked for someone who matched their definition of strong, rather than the type of strong that Jesus represented.

I began thinking about this concept of strength, the strength of Jesus, the power of God, and so on, because our understanding of power today is often limited to the same interpretation as those of Jesus' time. We consider strength to be about muscle, perseverance, and focus. Because of this, we can sometimes struggle with situations in which we must be strong in different ways. I had an instance at work about a month ago now where I was faced with complete rejection and disrespect. I struggled to handle it, find a way beyond it, and approach it with class and respect for the other person. As hard as I tried, I ended up in tears in the office of one of my friends at work. I was so frustrated that I let myself show weakness, that I gave my power away to someone else who was not worthy of it. During the time, my manager was on vacation, and unable to support me. Fast forward a few weeks, and I found myself finally having the conversation with my manager about what happened. I thought that I could talk about it, keep my emotional response at bay, and be the professional, calloused person that I tried to be while I was at work. However, I found the tears coming again, and I felt like a child who could not handle the situation. I was frustrated with myself; I knew that it was not worth crying over, it was not worth sacrificing time and energy on someone who has a reputation for being disrespectful.

When I called my mom at lunchtime that day, I mentioned to her that I need to handle it better, to get thicker skin, and to not let it bother me so much. My mom responded with such kind words; she said that it is not up to me to handle unkindness better, but for people to be kinder. She said that I do not need to change myself to fit the harsh rejections of the people around me. The reason that I care, the reason that I feel things deeply is because God made me to be that way, and in no way is that a weakness. Her supportive response not only made me feel much better, but it also helped me understand an entirely different way that God works in us, through us, and around us. We might think that we need to be stronger by not letting the opinions of others, the rejection from others, the unacceptance from the world bother us, but truly I think we all need the reminder to turn this on its ear. It is so much stronger to be exactly who you are in this world instead of trying to fit the mold that everyone else has made for you. In the same way, the strength of God that dwells in us is so much more powerful than the version of strength that we see around us in the world.

When I began this article, I wanted to focus on rejection, commiserate with the feeling of unacceptance, and where to look for God when we feel this way. However, when we realize that God is inside each and every one of us, it takes this message and makes it about the strength of God. What is the strength of God, how does He use it and share it with us, and how can we recognize the strength of God when His definition does not match the one we encounter every day?

Jeremiah 32:17 gives us insight as to the almighty power of the Lord; It reads as follows: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.” This verse makes it clear that our comprehension of strength is limited to only human understanding, and that the power of God is much beyond that. It is stated that there is nothing too hard for the Lord, absolutely nothing. When we think about our Heavenly Father's strength in general, this is a good verse to reference, as it expresses that there are no limitations to what He can do, no boundaries that can be set on His mighty power. In this way, it makes the creation of our intricacies expand the definition of God's power to be much more than the largeness that usually comes to mind. God not only created the heavens and the earth, but He also crafted our personalities, the way our minds work, the tiniest details of who we are and the world around us. The same God who parted the Red Sea for Moses designed snowflakes, flower petals, and the wings of butterflies. It is the same God, it is the same strength.

God's strength is not something that is only witnessed outside of ourselves, but it is important to remember that it is within us as well. The Holy Spirit dwells in us, strengthens us, and is interwoven into the fabric of who we are. One of my favorite verses is Joshua 1:9, which states "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Here we are commanded to be strong, or more so to trust that God will give us strength. We are also encouraged by this verse because yes, we are to be strong, but also reassured that we do not have to rely on our own strength. With our own strength, we are bound to fail, but with the power of God, we are able to stand firm. God is with us, He is in us, and He will never abandon us. The concept of strength here is different than the one above; it is not just the ability, or the design work, but it is the loyalty of the Lord, it is the faith that we have in Him. Philippians 4:13 reminds us that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Just as nothing is too difficult for the Lord, we find here that His strength in us also makes the impossible possible. Our Father is not going to let us fail, and through these verses He communicates to us that He is going to use His power through us to bring others to Him, all while protecting, encouraging, and strengthening us along the way.

God's power is so different than the ways in which power is demonstrated in this world. I think the most challenging part of it all is to focus on the strength of God within us and around us when the world holds us to a different definition. We may know the difference, but struggle to focus on God's strength rather than the world's. When we encounter situations that we feel weak, it can be easy to reference how our peers define strength and weakness. My mom brought me back to the way the Lord creates strength in how He designed us to love and feel, and she reminded me that we are able change the way strong is defined. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 is a great tool for us in moments where we feel weak: "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." Paul's writing here really sounds contradictory, but truly he is saying that when we are at low moments, we are able to seek God in them, to let His power take over. Just as I felt weak for crying, for caring so very much about being attacked, for struggling to understand why someone would be mean just for the sake of being mean, it actually served as a chance to for God to demonstrate His power through me, for me, and around me. The hardships we go through, the times when we feel the weakest are all chances for us to depend upon the Lord. They are all opportunities for our own understanding of strength to give way to the almighty power of God. Any hardships that we encounter cannot outweigh the strength of the Lord that dwells in us.

Times when we struggle, moments when we feel like we are weak, and situations that we find our definition of strength not matching the one we are surrounded by, are all chances to appreciate the way that God made us, the ways in which He demonstrates His strength through us and for us, and how we can depend on the Lord. God uses His power of intricacy when He forms us, and His complete design of each one of us is a unique and powerful creation. Caring about more things than most, feeling things on a deep level, and wearing your heart on your sleeve are not weaknesses. And we do not have to change ourselves just because the world is unaccepting of a different kind of strength. Even when people want to redefine power for us, our steadfast reliance upon the Lord to strengthen us in His way and His way alone serves as a chance to give Him glory!