What is Strength?

Those who think that "strength" is maintaining control over others no matter what, are walking in darkness and deception.

Strength is not forcing others to serve us.

Strength is not speaking more than we listen to maintain control.

Strength is not obsessing over who was right to win arguments.

Strength is not hiding who we really are to impress other.

Strength is not lying to get our way.

Strength is not fighting for our rights.

Strength is leadership submitting to others as servants.

Strength is listening more than we speak, and hearing others out before

judging them.

Strength is being willing to lose to honor God.

Strength is truth telling no matter the consequences.

Strength is integrity when it hurts to maintain it.

Strength is being willing to give up our rights for the sake of another.

Christ was the strongest man that ever lived and He is God! He was humble and submissive to His Father and to those on earth. Never did He fight back when there was injustice against Him.

He endured reviling without a word, told the truth no matter what the results, went to a terrible cross, enduing it without answering those who murdered Him, while praying for them.

James 1:12

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."

1 Peter 2:23

"Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:"

He whipped the money changers in the temple, defending His Father's house.

He Explained to Nicodemus the way of salvation through being born again.

No Christ was not the gooy, frightened and politically correct "man", our culture would like us to believe. He was and is not our perspective of a man, He was and is God, Who created everything, and controls everything.

When we are tempted to think of Christ the way we think of men in our culture, repent, and see from His Word what He really was and is.

Christ Who loved so much that He was willing to give up all His comfort in heaven, while coming to earth to save us from our sin.

No man could ever do what He did for mankind. However, He is our example of a real man who cared deeply for people, more than His own life.

Mark 10:45

"45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

Matthew 21:12

"And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves,"

Notice that the only time the Lord became violent was when His Father's house was being blasphemed. His defense was not for Himself, but for His Father.

1 Peter 4:10-11

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

1 Corinthians 6:7

"Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?"

When we are held up to the standard of Christ, we are not very strong as a Christian culture. Perhaps we should pray for humility to become more Christ-like, that He would make us strong.