November 27, 2016

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: Strong & Weak

We don't like to exploit our weaknesses. We have a difficult time embracing our struggles.  However, both can fuel the artist with amazing inspiration!  The weakness explored through the arts can become a great strength.  The despair of one's struggle can find peace through the process of creation.  Sometimes artists get stereotyped as dark, brooding, moody, and always struggling with something.  Maybe they are just more in touch with this part of life & are working through it instead of glazing over the deep hurts that are apart of all of our lives. 


But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  
2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Unfortunately many believers live life on the surface.  They have become skilled at wearing masks to cover their struggles & masters of acting as not to appear weak.  Somewhere along the line the lie was accepted & adopted that Christians should be "perfect".  You go to church and find that everyone is "fine"(said with a shallow half smile).   People do not share their hurts, discuss their struggles, or admit their weaknesses.  Yet in 2 Cor. 12: 9-10 we are confronted with the fact that the very thing so many are trying to hide....is exactly what God wants us to bring to him.  When we can bring these things to the Lord & admit that we need him...his strength can be experienced.  The community of believers can become stronger when we live life together...sharing our struggles & weaknesses with one another.  We can experience the Lord in a new way when we can free ourselves of the masks & acting....and live an authentic life....no matter how imperfect!!

2 comments:

  1. Thank you, Ted, for this message. So needed today!! I love that although we are across the country (I'm in CA) and we've never met (I did see you at NAEA San Diego) we can connect through our passion for teaching art and our love for the Lord. Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not attending NY...but am thinking about Seattle. Are you going to try to attend that one? If I can go...I want to gather a group together for a devo & prayer time!!

      Delete