Faith and Strength
THIS MONTH'S THEME: R.E.A.L. MEN
I was listening one morning to an online app offering up a prayer of faith. Having wrestled with a personal battle for over a year, I asked the Master of All Things with tears in my eyes whether I had the strength to see this thing through. He responded quickly. The question is not whether you have the strength. You don't. The question is if you have enough faith. The prayer was about faith. My deliverance is contingent upon my faith. So why did I run to strength? And because we are immersed in our present series on men, I had to ask my myself, "Am I doing the same thing in my expectations of men?" If you are a woman, when was the last time you spoke about a man to another woman in the context of what he believes God will do about a thing versus what you expected him to do? Scripture teaches us "faith without works is dead". Absolutely, yes, but having faith only in works will kill a relationship. I have to admit, there have been times when my response to a man's pace has been something like: "I get that, but you still need to (fill in the blank). Faith without works is dead." The logic? If you have the mental capacity to understand, and the physical capacity to respond, you should be able to move the needle, man of God. So, why did the needle not move? Was faith given the space to do its perfect work? Was the strategy Christ-driven or people-pleasing? Yes, the act of people pleasing is not limited to women. I submit to you, ladies, that we reassess not only our faith in God, but how we respond to the faith in God living and breathing in our men. And if he has no faith, does not know God for himself, believe. Believe that Jesus does not have to be where they are to speak a word. Your faith can be the open the door to his salvation and healing. Like the Roman soldier, trust Heaven more than his strength. Luke 7 does not tell us if the Roman soldier's sick servant had a wife demanding that he go see Jesus. It does not unpack the potential anxiety his own household might have experienced in relation to this faithful servant. It does not even go into what other means of healing the Roman exhausted prior to Jesus, although given his position we can ascertain his access to doctors and resources was extensive but fully exhausted. It only shows a man with great authority in the earth believed in the sovereignty of Christ so much that he reached out knowing his capacity to make things happen was obsolete. All he could do now was seek the Source despite being unworthy of the Source. This miracle is not the result of strength, but of faith.
He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well. ~Luke 7:6b-10, New International Version
Faith and Strength.
The eternal representation of Spirit versus flesh warring within us.
Our men are equipped with great faith. It's time we let faith win.
Lord, you have given men the physical capacity to respond and the mental capacity to think. Now, enhance their spiritual capacity so that they move according to your rhythm and not our cadence. Deliver us as women from expecting more strength than faith from our men. Help us to imagine how more faith amongst us means less stress between us. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Brothers in Christ, we love you but God loves you more. Your faith will make you whole.
I hope you have been blessed so far by the R.E.A.L. Men series. I admit it has ministered to me in ways I did not expect. What about you? Reply back and let me know. In the meantime, we move into the affirmations of men next week! Good stuff! See you then.
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