Yesterday’s sermon was “Only the Weak Survive.” Of course, it was a play off of the saying, “Only the strong survive.” Charles Darwin taught the survival of the fittest and I feel like it morphed into the more current saying “Only the strong survive.”
When you think about it, Christmas is contrary to modern ideology. It goes against the grain of our normal way of thinking. Do any of you remember the commercials featuring the Marlboro Man? It was a tobacco commercial featuring a hunky, good-looking dude generally dressed as a cowboy, smoking, always smoking. He was a true man’s man. Rugged. Western. Strong. Until, of course, we found out smoking was linked to lung cancer. If I remember correctly even some of those models died of it. Our society glorifies the strong men and women of sports. We offer them gobs of money to represent a product and people flock to that product. For the longest time, Marvel was at the top rung of the food chain in movie making. Their heroes were strong, could stop bullets, change the landscape or even travel through time. Superman was able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
Enter Christmas. The whole story was not one of strength, but weakness. While Herod, the Romans, and the religious leaders were showing their strength (which was actually a weakness), God was showing His weakness and humility (which was actually a strength) by coming to earth in human flesh as a helpless baby. Who would have thought that humble virgin and carpenter from a backwater town, would be the ideal parents for “God made flesh”? I certainly wouldn’t have given him a ghost of a chance of making it.
But He did. He was like no other. And when you think about it, that was God’s MO. He used the weak to shame the strong. Maybe we should take the hint. Instead of putting off airs of being more important or stronger than someone else, perhaps we ought to realize the strength in humility.
I think Darwin was wrong. I like God’s way better: only the weak survive.
I love how you’ve turned everything we tend to perceive in this world as being strong on its head here, Bill. The only true strength is found when we are totally reliant upon God and what He can, and has already, done. Blessings!
Thanks Martha. I agree with your sentiment (obviously) about the only true strength.
Great sermon yesterday, great post today. When you truly grasp what weakness is, it becomes your super power. In order to accept Christ as Savior, you have to surrender, you have to acknowledge that you are to weak to save yourself. When you want the counsel of the Hoy Spirit, you have to admit you are to weak to solve the issue by yourself. When you want to avoid temptation, you have to admit your weakness and humbly ask for God’s help. When you want your life to be guided by God, you have to admit you are to weak to control your own life, and you need God’s help. When in my own weakness, my own surrender, I get to tap into the greatest power of all, the Great I am, the creator of all things seen and unseen. Weakness is only powerless when you do not see God as the greatest power of all, the One who will help just by admitting you are to weak and surrendering to God for counsel.
Thanks for both comments Gail. Appreciate your kind words. I agree with you about acknowledging that we are weak. When we are weak, He is strong.
The Bible is filled with many examples of God using the outcast, the weak, the unimpressive. The best reminder of all, however, is what you have already shared. The message, the good news, of Jesus.
Good point Ryan. God uses the outcast, the weak and the unimpressive. I’m glad for the good news of Jesus.