The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall...

"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, it is then that I am strong." -2 Corinthians 12:10

The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Yep, that's right, I'm talking about haughtiness, pride, and boasting. Where do these things get you in life. Nowhere. I can be a very confident person. I usually know what I want, I will do what needed to get it, and I will do it in the most efficient manner; however, when the fine line between confidence and pride and conceit is crossed, destruction follows. Proverbs 16:18 attests to the same thing saying, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before the fall." The most disastrous thing a person can do is to rely on their own strengths, their own thoughts, and their own works. For it is often found that a life of self-reliance soon crumbles leaving nothing but hopelessness and sorrow. 

Now on to a touchy subject...weaknesses. We all have them; we all try to cover them up. But imagine a world where we all owned up to our weaknesses. Yes, we would be vulnerable, but so would everyone else. Although others may beg to differ, I find that weaknesses and difficulties can be a wonderful thing. It is in our vulnerable spots that we find His strength, it is in our weaknesses that we see His greatness shining through. So why wouldn't we want to see this side of God everyday? We beef ourselves up and put on the "I can handle anything" mask only to cowardly hide behind a facade everyday. Why not own up to those weaknesses and watch God show His mighty power? Why not stand up and say "My name is ________, and I struggle with ________"? I have come to find that great burdens are lifted, tensions are released, and true strength is found when you let God take on the hardest parts of life with you. That is why we should "delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when we are weak, it is then that we are strong." If you are already on your knees worshiping the one and only God, then you have a very little distance to fall when the times get hard. He will stand to protect you, and it will be in His strength that your life prospers in even the darkest of times. 

I challenge you to own up to your weaknesses. Trust that God will give you more strength than you will ever need if you only humble yourself and welcome the hard times with God by your side.