|
"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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
~II Corinthians 12: 9-10
|
|
|
In this series, we are exploring strength. Through stories of women who have endured significant trials and have found strength through the Lord, we will learn how to become stronger women of faith. The chapters of this series can be seen on the right menu bar and the current chapter is shown below. Enjoy this series as we explore how we can be strong in the Lord.
Be Still
September 5, 2009
Do you know a strong woman? How would you describe her?
Is she intelligent? Is she in control? Does she always seem to get what she wants? Does she manage multiple demands with unexplainable grace and poise?
Or, is she simply filled with the peace of God? Peace that she is not in control of everything, but knows that she will be able to get through any situation because He is with her.
Sometimes, it seems that we have unrealistic views of what a strong woman looks like. And, we get those unrealistic views from society, from television, from our friends. In fact, Merriam Webster's Dictionary defines strong as "having or marked by great physical power; having moral or intellectual power; having great resources (as of wealth or talent), forceful; not mild or weak."
Is this how the Bible defines strong?
Psalm 46:10 says "Be still and know that I am God."
We quote this verse often. Do you know what this verse really means? If you read all of Psalm 46, it is presented in the context of earthly strife. And, after several verses about this strife and chaos, you are presented with "Be still and know that I am God." Several have written about the translation of the phrase be still. And, it is argued that it could be better translated as let go, be calm, be weak. And, in the context of chaos and trouble, we are being told to let go, be calm, be weak and allow God to be God.
Many of us are far from "being still" or "letting go." We are holding on tight, trying to control everything, believing that we can do it on our own. Because that is what we think being a strong woman means. But, instead of holding on tight and managing everything, the strong woman actually let's go, calms down, and lives in the peace and joy of the Lord. The real strong women among us, understand the need for divine dependence and being still.
Today, feel free to let go, to be calm, to be still and know that He is God.
|
|
|
|
