The test of strength

“If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn’t much to you in the first place.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭24‬:‭10‬ ‭MSG‬‬

The book of Proverbs, sheisshhh, we’re in for a great time! Yesterday’s topic got so many reads that I think we’ll revisit it because clearly a lot of people needed it. Now, look at the picture above, a well-dressed man in a suit, looking sharp, yet carrying a massive rock on his back, one hand holding the weight, even his backside helping to balance it, and the other hand steadying himself. How many of us know that this is the real life of so many people? You look good and everything seems sweet on the outside, but you’re balancing life just like that, holding things together while trying not to fall apart. Let’s talk about it.

Before I continue, one of my friends told me that yesterday I didn’t say “I love you guys.” 😂 First of all, I didn’t think you all would notice something like that, and secondly, I totally forgot. So before I forget again today and courtesy of Keitumetse, I’m paying my love debt from yesterday, l love you guys! Who wouldn’t love you? Readers! People who love knowledge! Obviously you’re a special kind. Some people only read WhatsApp messages, so you guys are top tier. Ah, me I love you oo! Elabashantaaaaaaa!

I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve been through many crises, plenty of times I’ve fallen apart too. Solomon is addressing something solid here, the true test of strength is how much pressure you can take, how much crisis you can push through without breaking into pieces. So when we say, “I’m a strong babe,” it’s not believable until you can actually hold your ground in the middle of trouble. That man in the picture is definitely a strong man, otherwise, that rock would’ve crushed him. Strength is proven in perseverance. If you can’t persevere, your claim to strength doesn’t hold. And remember perseverance is even a fruit of the Spirit.

You know, many people have been taught or even teach a gospel of soft life. But the more you read Scripture, the more you realise that life will confront you with many trials. So how strong are you, really? Your strength is measured by the battles you’ve fought and won. It’s not just in the fighting; it’s in the victory. Did you fight a sexual urge yesterday after reading that blog? Yes? Then you’re a strong person. Now do it again today, and tomorrow, and every day after that. People of God, we all go through storms. Your battle may be unique to you, but that doesn’t mean someone else’s isn’t just as intense. Battle is battle. Everyone has weapons of warfare to contend with. So that rock sitting on you will you let it crush you, or will you stay balanced?

How do you know if your strength is small? You’re just like Israel when they kept running from Goliath because running from your Goliath exposes your weakness. Proverbs even says that if you faint in the day of adversity, there wasn’t much to you in the first place. So who is a strong woman? Who is a strong man? It’s the one who steps up to face the giant like David. And the truth is, strength is not a matter of age. There are older people who can’t handle even a little pressure, yet a young person can stand firm and hold out. That’s why Apostle Paul said, “I write to you, young men, because you are strong and you have overcome!”

“But it’s been long… when will God answer?” His answer is here, hold on. Stay put. You will not be destroyed. Remember, come think of it, Israel became a strong people after all the pressure they went through in Egypt. Who could walk like that in the wilderness unless they were strong? Your trials are strengthening you. This world was not created for weaklings, if you are weak, even the smallest pressure can take you down.

You have to stay balanced. You have to stay rooted. You have to believe this is not the end. There is an expected end. There is rest for God’s people. It won’t always be like this. Pressure is just a test of strength and that same strength is what you need to fulfil your purpose.

Even as the year comes to a close, let me speak to the men, I feel led to. Listen, dear men, you have carried your families all year, hard work, going the extra mile, providing, sometimes feeling like you’re failing. I want to say this today, God sees you. It’s hard for men to speak about the weight they carry. Even Jesus went like a lamb to the slaughter in silence. But GOD SEES. Drop those shoulders. Unclench your jaw. You will come out. You will make it. You are not failing. You are a priest. You are a leader. You are a wonder in progress, even greater things are coming. I just felt led to share this with you.

Okay, before I forget again, I love you guys. It’s Worship Wednesday, so don’t forget to praise Him, even in the middle of your trials.

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