“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.”
Ephesians 6:10 [NLT]
Often, we get caught unaware and sin or do wrong things in
the areas of our life where we are strongest. Why is that? We don't pray over
the areas of our life in which we are strongest.
Someone may say, I am strong in the gifting of finance. Then
when they don't pray, they don't give a portion back to God.
Another person may say, I am strong about praying. Then when
they hit a personal wall, they melt in fear or frustration and forget to go to
God for their strength and guidance over or around that wall.
Still another person might say, I am strong in teaching, but
then forget to rely on the Lord for guidance as to what needs to be taught or
highlighted while teaching, or possibly even doesn't prepare because that
person has taught the subject so much.
Our human nature is to strive to make ourselves stronger in
the areas we are weakest, to grow and become strong in more than one area of
our lives. Yet, when they forget to shore up and keep giving and using our
strengths to and for the LORD, our strengths become weaknesses because we have
made ourselves our own gods.
Consider Joab in 1 Kings 2. He supported the priest,
Adonijah, but not Absalom. Instead he should have supported God and His
anointed king, David. Joab, in his own wisdom, with his strength as commander
of the army chose who would be his leader, and it wasn't God or his king. The
Kings' Chronicler told of this in 1 Kings 2:28.
Oswald Chambers said it this way, "Unguarded strength
is actually a double weakness, because that is where the least likely
temptations will be effective in sapping strength. The Bible characters
stumbled over their strong points, never their weak ones." (My Utmost
for His Highest, April 19th)
What are your strengths? Those are your greatest weaknesses.
Pray for them and the other parts of your being so that you will not succumb to
temptation to keep yourself to yourself instead of giving your whole life to
the LORD. Only He makes you strong and only He can make you withstand trials
and persecution.
A final word: be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all
of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all the
strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh and blood
enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against
mighty powers in this dark work, and against evil spirits in the heavenly
places. (Ephesians 6:10-12 [NLT])
Lord, I find myself looking
to my own self as my guide and not seeking You and Your will. I consider the
gift You gave me as mine and I walk in the knowledge that I am strong in this
area. Yet, I do not pray over the gift You gave me. I do not dedicate it to
You. I do not guard it from Satan’s devices. Lord, forgive me for walking in my
own ways and making myself my own god deciding what I need to do because I am
strong. Forgive me for not giving this strength, this gift, back to You for
Your service and purposes. Lord, forgive me for not safeguarding and growing
the talent You gave me. You have a purpose for it and I must be a good steward
of it. Lord, help me learn how to strengthen the gift You have given me. Help
me to remember to give it back to You in thanks and as an offering for Your
service. Help me remember, You are God and I am not. Remind me to pray over my
strengths like I pray over my weaknesses. May they be used for Your glory and
purposes all my days. Amen.
