One of the core values of our culture consists of our ability to rely on our own strength to solve problems and overcome life’s trials and uncertainties. This idea is burned into our thoughts from an early age, and as a result, we run off to face some of our greatest difficulties with an overinflated sense of self-reliance and an underestimation of the task before us. We find it surprising when we fail at overcoming large obstacles and wonder what more we could have done to make up the difference. The problem is not the shortcomings of our own strengths and abilities. Rather, it is our failure to ask God to give us His strength that we need to evaluate and complete a seemingly overwhelming task.

I am guilty of this as much as anyone. When times get rough for my own life, I have a tendency to shift into problem-solving mode and forget about God’s strength that should be filling my soul.

My own plans dictate how I solve my problems, and before I know it, I am sinking beneath the weight of a wave without anything to keep me afloat. At some point, we all realize that no matter what we do, there are tasks that we set for ourselves that cannot be completed or realized without supernatural strength.

If we are to correct this tendency of overestimating our own strength, we have to first admit that we are weak. We need to acknowledge that there are obstacles we can’t overcome by ourselves, and our tendencies to try to make it on our own can have grave consequences. However, by understanding that we as humans are weak, we open up ourselves to the power and strength of the God who created the universe.

1 Timothy 1:12-14 helps us to understand that our strength comes from Jesus. Our ability to work and serve Jesus through our trials is given to us by the one who created us. How could we place our trust in anything less than the one who orchestrates all things?

How do we begin to ask God for the strength to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks? A big step is to pray continuously. Ask God constantly for his help and guidance in all things, even with seemingly insignificant decisions.

Ask for his wisdom to deal with life’s problems and how they can be turned into an opportunity for His glory to be known. 

Another big step is to understand that we are susceptible to every kind of weakness and to ask God’s help in creating boundaries to combat those weaknesses. If we rely on God to help us against our ineptitudes, then we can spend more time seeking his will rather than relying on our own strength to try and outrun our problems with our self-generated endurance.

Thank you,

David Prindle