A Crutch for the Weak

Chuckle: "Have you ever wondered why Goofy stands erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!"

Quote: "Jesus will not overlook your shortcomings or simply encourage you to do better the next time. He will give you victory in the midst of your failure." --Henry Blackaby

"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. . . . For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9b, 10b NIV).

I once read about a controversial celebrity who said that religion/Christianity was only a "crutch" for the weak. He meant this statement to be a put-down of Christians whom he saw as only a bunch of insecure people who cling to religion out of desperation -- too weak to stand on their own. Without realizing it, he had expressed an eternal truth about the relationship of Christians to their Lord. He was exactly right about our dependence upon God, but our Lord is so much more than a crutch. He is:

Our Savior because we cannot save ourselves;

Our lifeboat in a sea of despair;

Our shield protecting us from the evil one;

Our strength in our times of greatest weakness

Our companion when we are lonely;

Our comfort when we are grieving;

Our peace in the storms of life;

Our "Crutch" to help us walk with Him;

Our . . . . . . . You fill in the blank.

So, it is perfectly accurate to say Christianity is a crutch for the weak. "Crutch" is not the best word, but it communicates our need for God. The problem with most of us is that our pride will not allow us to see ourselves as weak and in need of a God's help. We must learn to see ourselves as God sees us. He recognizes our weaknesses and our desperate need for His strength every day.

I once knew a youth minister who signed all his correspondence with, "Striving to be weak." This young man had come to understand that God is His strongest when we are our weakest -- that in our weakness, God's power is made manifest through us. It is a sign of courage and humility when a person comes to realize his dependence upon God. He recognizes that his strength is totally inadequate to solve the problems facing him.

When we consider that God's power is displayed in proportion to our weakness, we should be encouraged and our hope should be increased. The critical factor in this equation is whether or not we recognize our weaknesses and limitations. It's only when we acknowledge our weaknesses that we will learn to depend upon God instead of our own abilities, strength, and energy. When we affirm God's strength and our weakness, He will develop our character and deepen our worship.

Love, Jerry & Dotse