“Therefor I have cheerfully made up my mind to be proud of my weaknesses, because they mean a deeper experience of the power of Christ. I can even enjoy weakness, suffering, privations, persecutions and difficulties for Christ’s sake. For my weaknesses are made strong in him.”- 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (J. B. Phillips)
Author Mary DeMuth completes The Wall Around Your Heart with “Epilogue: An Open Heart” (she introduced her book with the fortress heart). Mary recalls a most painful encounter with a friend about that friend’s angry responses to others. Mary advised her to be offended and let it lie there. Her friend responded: “No one is like Jesus.”
Precisely! There’s only one Jesus- and it’s not any of us! Mary writes:
“The great beauty of the Christian life isn’t availability to live it, to form an elaborate façade of having it all together; it’s our weakness that welcomes His strength within us.”
As the author states, we don’t have to be awesome, strong, give in to bitterness, wear relational devastation as a badge, or walk around with a chip on our souls. Taking everything to the Lord in prayer is the safest place to be- a position of humbleness and readiness. Mary offers these words of encouragement:
” . . . I know that if you catch the privilege it is to kneel you life this way, fully surrendered to our powerful, amazing God, your life will never, ever be the same.”
Today’s question: What petitions(s) of the Lord’s Prayer became more significant to you? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the Annotated Bibliography of The Wall Around Your Heart