“Only strong people are close to God. Only smart people know anything about God.”

In case it’s not obvious, those two sentences are incorrect! But we still tend to let those kinds of thoughts creep into our heads, don’t we?

And yet.

God shows grace to the humble (James 4:6). And your salvation is something God gives to you, not something you earn or deserve (Ephesians 2:8).

And then there is 2 Corinthians 12:9. That’s where we learn about God’s wisdom to Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

People who think they are strong all by themselves are arrogant and don’t tend to trust or look to God. The same is true for people who think they already know everything.

But a heart that is humble and honest about its need for God is a vessel for the power of God.

Philip Yancey puts it like this: “Human beings do not readily admit desperation. When they do, the kingdom of heaven is near.”*

Do you ever feel like you’re not strong or smart enough on your own? Join the club.

What we truly need is to admit how much need we have.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

By Matthew Ruttan

–“Up!” is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on January 18, 2021.
–*As quoted in: Craig Groeschel, Hope in the Dark: Believing God is Good When Life is Not (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2018), 27.
–Bible quotes are from the NIV.