Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Ephesians 6:10
Most of us have seen those men who work at the airport, the ones who direct the airplanes on and off the tarmac. One of those men – sometimes called a marshaller – stands in a spot where the pilot can see him, and uses lighted or brightly coloured batons to give directions. And when he holds up his hand, that airplane stops, and doesn’t move until directed to do so. Some of those airplanes are huge, with incredible power in their mighty engines. How is it possible that one man, and not necessarily a big man, can bring such a massive machine to a halt? Why do the pilots, with all of that power at their disposal, do exactly as that one solitary marshaller tells them to do? It’s because those pilots know the marshaller has more power in his authority than they have in their engines. He is like us as Christians, not very big or strong in ourselves, but with all of the power and authority of the Lord behind us.
The first step in being strong in the Lord is acknowledging that we are not strong in ourselves. The apostle Paul understood this: ‘Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong’ (2 Corinthians 12:10). The worst mistake a Christian can make is to assume we can function as a Christian in our own strength. Admitting our weaknesses enables us to look to the Lord for the strength we need. And He will give it: ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint’ (Isaiah 40:31).
The Scriptures are filled with reminders that our strength comes from the Lord. A favourite verse of many Christians is 2 Corinthians 12:9: ‘And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.’ What the Lord revealed to Paul, He can certainly reveal to us. This text is true, whether we believe it or not. But if we believe it, and rest on it, we can rejoice in the power of His might.
One area where we feel our weakness is in our testimony for the Lord. It’s difficult for some of us to stand up and be recognized for what we are in Christ, or to speak a word of witness for our Lord, or to be involved in publicly declaring the Gospel. No words could better address this weakness than those of Paul in 2 Timothy 1:7-9: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.’ -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/79RyELAqTU8