FROM: Banbury, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
ABOUT ME: Living the highs and lows of life in the adventurous pursuit of God Himself and of who I'm meant to be as the Bride of Christ.
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Saturday, September 14, 2013,2:33 a.m.
WEAKNESS AS STRENGTH
I was reading Isaiah 53 yesterday afternoon, and pondering specifically on verses 2-4, where in speaking about the coming Messiah (Jesus), it says:
"For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him,
No appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face.
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted."
(Isaiah 53:2-4 NASB)
It made me think of the portrayals of Jesus in film, etc., and how he is generally played by some beautiful actor who, even bearded, is some incredible specimen of human beauty. Considering Jesus' nature as both fully human but also fully divine, I suppose it is not inconceivable that He would have been very physically beautiful and perhaps extremely charismatic. But the above passage gives me pause when thinking about what He did actually look like. Of course I have no idea - none of us do - but thinking of the words "He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, no appearance that we should be attracted to Him" makes me wonder what He looked like, and if He was as attractive to people as I, at least, have always thought. The words that state that He was "despised, and we did not esteem Him" or that He was "like one from whom men hide their face" could easily be referring to the actual event of His crucifixion, but what if it does not? What if it is stating that He in and of Himself was not of a personality or physicality that attracted people? What if He was shy? Or meek in Himself? It would leave only one logical reason for His being able to garner a following wherever He went: the Holy Spirit of God in Him that shone forth.
What if, in our daily lives and ministries, we were unable to rely on our own personalities and talents, our physical qualities or the things we are or do that attract people? What if instead we had only qualities that repel and that cause people to turn their faces away from us, thinking that we had been struck by God? I think of myself and my innate (and broken) desire to please people, and how alone I would feel had I none of the crutches that I have developed to ensure that people like me and want me around them. What if, even in that state, I was so full of the Holy Spirit and power of God that people flocked to me in droves simply to experience a small taste of God? How much more would His name be glorified! How much less would my own!
And surely there is a way for us to be that lightening rod of God's Spirit to the world around us; it was designed to be so. Why else would Jesus have prayed for us that we would be one , "even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. (John 17:21b)"
I wonder what my life and ministry would look like if instead of spending so much energy attempting to eradicate my perceived weaknesses, I embraced them and allowed only the power and beauty of God to shine through my life? Likely a lot more humble. And likely a lot more effective for the Kingdom and glory of God.
I wonder what my life and ministry would look like if instead of spending so much energy attempting to eradicate my perceived weaknesses, I embraced them and allowed only the power and beauty of God to shine through my life? Likely a lot more humble. And likely a lot more effective for the Kingdom and glory of God.
"He must increase, but I must decrease."
(John 3:30)
