Strength In Weakness

Strength in Weakness

I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:10

Some time ago I became aware of a new trend in television—Amish reality shows. Amish out of Order, Breaking Amish, and Amish Mafia are just three of these, but how true-to-life are these portrayals? Is what they show really how the Amish live, or do the shows simply feature individuals wanting to be in the limelight? While there is some truth to the shows, there is also more drama (much more) than most Amish experience. Some shows are rumored to have been staged. Others are in poor taste. And where does this leave the true Amish men and women?

For hundreds of years people have been “paying attention” to the Amish. They’ve been persecuted and martyred. They’ve had to leave home. They’ve been misunderstood. The challenges they’ve faced are great. The Amish gain attention because they are different. As an expanded community, they are worth our attention. We want to understand their lifestyle. We pay attention because we believe they have something to offer.

Even though the Amish aren’t perfect, they give us an example of what life can look like when a community chooses to center their lives on service to God and one another. Second Corinthians 5:20 says, “We are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’”

When insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles come—making us feel weak—we can press into Christ and be filled with His strength. Or we can turn away from God and our community, where we find ourselves caught up in troubles and struggles.

The problem with many Amish reality shows is that they focus on the wrong thing. They focus on those who struggle in their weaknesses rather than on those who find strength in Christ during hard times. What about you? When hardship comes, will you be an example of someone who presses into God and finds strength in weakness, or of someone who struggles without God? Either way, the world is watching.

Dear heavenly Father, when I press into You, my weakness becomes strength. Today I give You room to work through my weakness. Be strong in me today.