Depend On His Strength

“If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” 2 Corinthians 11:30

Joseph Lombardo is a powerlifter and a Christian. He writes: “The Reverend Matthew Holbert, an ordained Lutheran pastor in West Virginia, is a coach as well as judge in several powerlifting federations. The Reverend Holbert understands strength training and faith as “pretty much two sides of the same coin.”

For him, “Faith is really strength training of the spirit and the mind. The assurance of things hoped for—the certainty of things not seen. And that’s definitely what strength training is as well, it’s plotting a trajectory either a slow, steady climb to a distant horizon or an eight-week peak [program] where you’re trying to get to something that you haven’t ever [lifted] before, but you know it’s there if you just stay the path. And then also, a little deeper, challenging the weaknesses, figuring out what you stink at and doing that—that’s growth and faith. Trying the things that we’re weak at spiritually and when we pay more attention to them, we become closer to our relationship with the divine.”

All of us need to acknowledge that we are weak and Jesus is strong.

Praise the Lord that He is strong enough to overcome every obstacle.

“We live in a world full of people struggling to be, or at least to appear strong, in order not to be weak; and we follow the gospel which says that when I am weak, then I am strong. And this gospel is the only thing that brings healing.” – N.T. Wright

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9