Yan’s third point in his sermon ‘Weakness Is Our Greatest Strength’ asked the question ‘How do we turn our weakness into strength?‘ We do this as we live by spiritual principles rather than rational understanding. In order to see weakness turned to strength, we must:
1. realise the need of spiritual awakening in our lives, churches and country. Isaiah 52:1 urges Zion to ‘awake!’ and to ‘clothe yourself with strength’. Apathy and indifference must be banished; distraction must be put aside.
2. recognise the need to change our attitudes. Our attitudes determine our altitude. We are actually seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph 2:6), but so often we live with our eyes to the ground, shuffling along (see Col 3:1-2, The Message). We need to reject unbelief and low expectations and develop ‘great expectations‘ instead! We have to examine our attitudes to God (Eph 3:20 reminds us that God can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine), to ourselves (Joel 3:10 reminds us that the weak can say ‘I am strong’; we need to understand what God says about us instead of wallowing in self-pity or low self-esteem) and to our circumstances (rejecting grumbling and complaining in favour of thankfulness, as 1 Thess 5:18 urges.)
3. re-establish the importance of God having first place in our lives. Jesus taught us to seek the kingdom of God above everything else (Matt 6:33) and we need to consider what is our ‘one thing’ or prime motivator (see Ps 27:4). Ps 84:5-7 reminds us that even when we are in the valley of Baka, pools and springs can arise.
God gives power to the weak and enables strength to come as we wait on Him. (Is 40:29-31). Instead of being defeated and discouraged, we can be encouraged as we take to heart God’s call to awake and clothe ourselves with God’s strength, not ours.