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Because We’re Weak

May 5, 2014

They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.” (Nehemiah 6:9, NIV)

I am a lucky guy.

I don’t say that to offend my Christian friends who say “there is no such thing as luck.” In fact, I wholeheartedly agree with them.

What they would prefer me to say is, “I am a blessed guy.” And I certainly am. One of my daily prayers is to thank God for his ongoing provision. It doesn’t have to be this way; only by his hand is it.

But the problem is that either way I go—even choosing the middle ground word fortunate—I am forced to use a platitude, a happy little expression that often has no specific meaning. For instance, while I like to hear athletes tell reporters they are “blessed” to be doing what they’re doing, I really can’t tell you whether that athlete is a follower of Jesus any more than I can tell you that one who says “I’m lucky” is. Christians don’t own the idea of being blessed.

There’s a danger in platitudes. Too often they don’t get the job done.

In my recent conversations with Tracy Hanson—and yes, one of the ways I am lucky and blessed is in my opportunities to pick the brains of accomplished golfers like this—we talked of weaknesses on the golf course and just what we are to do about them. Here are a few methods that don’t work:

– whining,
– excuse-ing,
– fuming,
– chirpy fix-its, like “just keep your head down,”
– and talking about the problem with no accompanying action.

No, if we are going to overcome our golf problems, we need at least three things: help, time, and practice. We need a plan of attack, and then we need to implement it. If you want to talk about your problem, talk with an expert. They’ll give you far more than platitudes to work with and you’ll see progress.

In Scripture, we find in Nehemiah’s example of leadership this very kind of action plan for facing weakness. Without question, Nehemiah did not have skilled, experienced workers in his wall rebuilding project. Most of these people were “new on the job,” prone to discouragement and fear. They were, in a word, weak. And now they were being directly challenged by their critics and enemies who did not want this wall built.

But Nehemiah cut through the discouragement. He identified the situation, not denying the weakness, but calling on the help he knew he needed. He prayed.

In the midst of our weakness, no matter what it is and no matter how seriously it discourages us, the best plan of action is to engage help, time, and practice. Turn to God in prayer, allow him time to work out your circumstances, and stick with what he has you doing. His grace is sufficient (to cite another important biblical episode of weakness); turn to it and parlay it into the strength to go through.

Jeff Hopper
May 2, 2014
Copyright 2014 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.

Links Players
Pub Date: May 5, 2014

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Articles authored by Links Players are a joint effort of our staff or a staff member and a guest writer.