Speaking to the Soul – April 22

Weakness

When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 1 Corinthians 2:1-3

I once heard about a church that regularly visited the houses nearby. They sent out people two by two. A young girl nervously agreed to join in. She went to one house and a large man came to the door asking in a gruff voice what she wanted. She struggled to speak and then, in a quivering voice, she blurted out: “I’ve come to tell you that Jesus loves you.” The man didn’t know what to say and so slammed the door in her face.

He went inside and slumped into a chair weeping like a baby. His wife asked what was wrong and he told her that a young girl had just come to their front door and told him that Jesus loved him. He had never had an experience like this before and he was amazed by her bravery. He couldn’t get over it. The more he thought about the experience the more curious he became and, after a while, he plucked up courage to go to the church and made a commitment to follow Christ.

I love that story. God often speaks through our weakness more easily than through our strength. That was certainly Paul’s experience. He remembered how he was when he first arrived in Corinth. It was a busy and noisy city, famous for its immorality. It’s not surprising that Paul felt overwhelmed by his weakness. But Paul knew that what mattered was that people heard that Jesus died on the cross for them. It didn’t matter that he was timid and trembling.

Most of us feel unsure of ourselves when we are given the opportunity to speak about our faith. But the truth is that we are often at our most powerful when we are feeling nervous and weak.

QUESTION
Can you think of a time when God used you particularly powerfully in a time of weakness?

PRAYER
Lord help me to be willing to speak up for you, even when I am feeling weak and tongue-tied. Amen