Weakness Becoming Your Strength
In Jackie Hill Perry’s devotion “Upon Waking,” she has a section that talks about Peter and his faults, describing how he has been known for his impulsive personality. Yet she goes on to explain how these qualities were used effectively when applied with God’s plan. One thing you can say about Peter is he definitely had heart! It was clear that he had passion and love when it came to Jesus. He usually would say the most outlandish things that He couldn’t back up with action or, as we can relate, would often speak before thinking. But Ms. Jackie Hill Perry explains so perfectly that in a situation “when no one spoke up, the impulsive, rebuking, and denying Peter stood up and showed himself as the bold, courageous, and truth-telling Peter God commissioned him to be.” Therefore, she goes on to write, “the very part of Peter that caused him to fail was the very part God used. Our personalities aren't in the way of our fruitfulness; sin is.”
“The very part of Peter that caused him to fail was the very part God used. Our personalities aren't in the way of our fruitfulness; sin is.”
UPON WAKING
~ JACKIE HILL PERRY
That hit me hard. I’m sure many of us at times have condemned ourselves for things about our personality that cause us to behave the way we do. We, left to our own sinful nature, make a lot of mistakes. Like Peter, we may speak without thinking and say hurtful things to people we love, and might dig ourselves into a hole in the process. Yet, when a compliment for someone else comes into our minds, we hesitate and think before going up to the stranger and saying it. The boldness to speak up can be a fault if used poorly and without thinking. On the other hand, it can be used for good and to impact others when you focus more on speaking positively!
Change the way you see yourself and your weaknesses.
Another example could be that you may have a tendency to be a distrusting person. Therefore, there are times you sabotage any relationships with others because you have experienced so much hurt in the past, and you want to bolt before the chance of it happening again. But when you know God, you can bring that hurt to Him and He will restore you with His love. He will teach you to trust Him.
When you trust God and stand on His love, you can overcome the hurt you once operated out of!
Another personality fault may be stubbornness. You may resist changing the way you live your life in order to keep your friends. Or you may stay in a relationship that you have been told is toxic because of your love for the other person. Instead, be stubborn in fighting for what you know is best for you. God can work through you when you apply that stubbornness to the right situations for the right reasons. For example, work on being stubborn towards moving forward with God. Trust that God always wants what is best for you and will change you for the better. He will bring the right people you need, at the right time, as you move forward with Him. In Matthew chapter twenty-two at the end of verse thirty-nine it says, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
If you don’t choose to fight to do what’s best for you, how can you be strong enough to love and be there for others?
Your priority should be you first. Become stubborn in doing what is right for you. Not in a selfish way, but in a way that you better yourself so that you can be there for people God puts in your path. If you ask, He will teach you how to begin to change your faults into effective tools. He uses everything for good so with God your weakness can become one of the best parts of you your strength.