I grew up with a song called “I Marvel at the Wisdom of My God” which quotes Joel 3:10. The song says, “Oh, the Lord said let the weak think they are strong, and I wondered in my heart if it was wrong, but then I saw the little lily pushing up the heavy sod, and I marveled at the wisdom of my God.” This song has always struck a chord with me because, being one who has focused so much on my weakness, I have often wondered how I am supposed to feel about thinking I am strong.
This week in my quiet time I have been pouring over the first couple of chapters in 2 Timothy. (As an aside, I have found that spending a lot of time in a short section of Scripture gives birth to more insights than hurriedly reading through large portions of the Bible.) So, anyway, 2 Timothy 2:1 says to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” This verse has found fertile soil in me for contemplation. While there is more to this verse than what I can cover in this short article (and more than I know at this point), I do want to share one simple way I have been encouraged by it since I have started reflecting on it.
I love just sitting with a verse for several days, because at the oddest times insights will just pop into your mind. It’s a really fun and rewarding way to engage with Scripture. So earlier, as this verse passed through my mind again, I was thinking about strength in relation to grace, and it dawned on me that even though it may be strength that was undeservedly given to me (i.e., “by grace”) … it is still strength.
So, I have been finding it helpful as temptations come to remind myself that “He has made me strong, I don’t have to do that.” That simple acknowledgement of undeserved but real strength has encouraged me and given me new inspiration in my own personal struggles. I still think it would be inappropriate to act as if I were strong on my own, but I think it may be just as inappropriate for me to act as if I am ONLY weak and fragile in light of the fact that He has given me a spirit of “power, love and self-discipline” (2 Tim. 1:7), and He has been working on me for a long time now. I am still trying to figure this out, but I do think it is worthy of your and my contemplation. So, I leave this thought with you to explore on your own. How are you to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus?”
