Tuesday, October 26, 2010

weak

If you are reading this, then there is no doubt that you have felt the string of failure, the defeatism that comes with disappointment in your self. It seems we inherently gravitate towards greatness, valor, victory, strength. We all want to be extraordinary, to be great. We admire the hero, the person who stands up, head held high, and gains something great by their actions. We strive to be the Rudy Ruettigers, William Wallaces, and Kerri Strugs of our world (that is, the spaces, places, and faces we interact with on a day-to-day basis).

Oh, how we fail.

I have taken my fair share of knocks in life, shaken my head more than a few times when thinking back on some decisions I made, words I said. I have been anything but a hero in more instances than I care to count, but I have come to realize something very important: weakness is a measure of and a doorway to great things. 

I mentioned Kerri Strug earlier, and you probably know who she is without having to run to Google. The reason her name is timelessly remembered is not because she scored a 9.712 landing in vault to secure a gold medal for America in the 1996 Summer Olympics. No, she is remembered because she did so after seriously injuring her ankle just moments earlier on a previous jump. American marveled as she did something most of us never could, even at the peak of our physical prowess -- and she did so while injured.

I find admiration in stories of triumph, unlikely heroes who step up to the plate and do something great in spite of themselves. I have a lot of respect for those in positions of authority, namely those within a spiritual context. There is a lot of sacrifice and strength in allowing oneself to die to self and live by a holier set of standards. While I am admittedly a nobody outside of my realm of influence and my own social circle, I see great things within me that I simply cannot attribute to my own self. In fact, everything great in me is a result of my own weakness, shortcomings, and failures. The only great thing I ever truly did was learn how to finally start trusting God and not try to be some intellectual giant who thought or felt his way out of every circumstance or emotional rut. Beyond that, everything is owed to something and Someone bigger than me.

Our success is predicated by our faith. Without faith in positive results, why would we put our hands and feet to any project, dream, or desire? We look at those who have come before us and declare "I can do that, or I can do something great and groundbreaking or trend-setting as well. I too can overcome because they did as well." This is good and well and is definitely a stepping stone to launch yourself off of, but this will only get you so far. When your focal point of faith lies in an individual, a group of people, or an establishment created by and consisting of an individual or group of people, your success can only go so far. You will be limited by not only your weakness, but the weakness of those who inspired you. People will fail, and in doing so, they will fail you. The only focal point we truly can be dependent on, the only unfailing person that is worthy of our attention and being a point of reference is Yahshua. 

Even in the moments leading up to His greatest victory, He struggled, He begged, and He pleaded to not have to take the burden, the pain, and the suffering upon His body. It is here I saw Him at His most human, at His greatest point of weakness, and yet He travailed, just for me. How much greater can I do than that? I cannot, so it is towards Him I face and follow daily when choosing my actions, my words, and my thoughts. Aside from that, there is nothing great I can do on my own in my human weakness.

No comments:

Post a Comment