What if surrendering strength for REAL power was possible …

What did it mean to surrender strength for real power? It definitely wasn’t a popular sentiment.

This is how I want to do it! I was feeling powerful, but I was fighting with myself.

I didn’t want to surrender my strength for real power.

Why didn’t I feel strong if God was my help and shield? And why was I doing things my way? It’s a question to ask yourself.

Before you stop reading, let’s talk about weakness for a moment. One definition of weakness is: lacking the power to carry out a physically demanding task. I’m not suggesting you stop working out or let your body go. No, I’m not talking about giving up on yourself. I’m talking about surrendering to the one who has your life in His hands and wants to give you good things, the things that will truly satisfy you.

Have you ever asked yourself if being weak affects being strong? Would it matter to you? Are you willing to exchange your weakness for strength? Would you ever surrender strength for real power?

Nothing is easy …

These aren’t easy questions to ask yourself. I’ve been asking myself these questions and coming up with answers I don’t like. Being comfortable, feeling in charge, and knowing exactly what’s coming is GREAT! And yes, I like to feel strong. To a point, those aren’t bad things. But, when I’m in the place of strength it’s hard to exchange it for real power because I like how strength feels.

But it all breaks down eventually. Frustration makes me want control and cutting others out is often easier than pressing in or letting God show me His solution. My strength becomes my weakness, and my inability to lay it down removes the possibility of God giving me real power.

Trusting what I can’t see and don’t understand? I can see how that sounds ludicrous. God says, “His power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).

I used to think that meant God would sweep in and take care of the BIG things. His strength was reserved for when I couldn’t be strong. I hadn’t come to grips with the possibility that maybe He was calling me to live a life that was weak, a life outside of what I considered to be anchored in my power and out of my control, a life outside my priorities. 

I had given my life to Him but hadn’t truly grasped what surrender looked like, a life where He was my priority. Have you considered the possibility of surrendering strength for real power?

power.

A life of REAL power.

I had missed that the mark of a life well-lived was not a feeling of strength. My emphasis had been on becoming strong, but I needed to allow God to meet me, mold me, and make me stronger, in weakness. The interesting thing about it all was that He wanted to be everything to me and for me. He wanted me to trust Him so much that His power and strength became mine. And in the middle of it all, He would give me more than my imagination held up to Him. It just meant I would have to let go of me and choose Him. When He is my shield, I can rest, protected.

Living a powerful life would mean choosing Him over the competition – ME. Living through God’s power is way more exciting, and way safer than any strength of my own creation.

I’ve become quite familiar with physical weakness, often finding myself falling. I share weakness in mental, emotional and spiritual spaces as well. Interestingly, it’s not during these weak moments that I question things. Instead, it’s when I manage to take control and show my strength that these thoughts come to mind.

A Question:

Ask yourself, “How weak am I willing to be?”

I’ve noticed that experiencing physical weakness often heightens our pursuit of power. Afterward, the need for control intensifies, and ensuring safety becomes paramount. It’s easy to go overboard and focus excessively on self-preservation. I know this because I grapple with it myself, even when I am strong and in charge.

It’s okay to find solutions, heal and boost strength. But, when we refuse help and create our own worlds in which we protect and lie to ourselves, we’re not really honoring the God who created us to thrive. We haven’t surrendered strength for real power.

See, if God is my Help and Shield … I can feel safe surrendering my need to put up walls. Without him, I can’t let go. Weakness matters less because He’s gonna handle it. I can rest … not because I’m never threatened, but because He defends me.

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