A couple of weeks ago I attended the Men’s Retreat where our guest speaker, Noah Icenhour, challenged us with the theme of “Forged: The Strength of Living in Weakness”. The weakness Noah was referring to was both external, since humanity as a whole has fallen short of God’s calling, and internal, in that we as individuals must get rid of our own low expectations for ourselves.
To help overcome our own low expectations, one of our lessons focused on “Embracing Our Purpose” as Christians.
Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV) “22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off you old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Living the Christian life is a process. When we become new Christians, although we have a new nature, we don’t automatically think all good thoughts, or express all of the right attitudes, or do all the right things. But, if we keep listening to God, we will be changing all the time. Taking on Christ is both a once-for-all decision we made when we decided to accept Christ’s gift of salvation and is also a daily conscious commitment. We are not to be driven by our deceitful desires and impulses anymore. We must put on the new role, head in the new direction, and have a new way of
thinking to “Embrace our Purpose” as Christians.
To help “Embrace our Purpose”, another lesson was focused on “Embracing our Weakness” as Christians. To illustrate this idea, we reviewed the account of Saul of Tarsus’ conversion to Paul, the Apostle, found in Acts 9.
Acts 9: 3-6 (NIV) “3As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5”Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” He replied. 6”Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
As Saul traveled to Damascus, pursuing Christians, he was confronted face-to-face by the risen Christ and brought to weakness. He became blind and did not eat or drink for three days. Saul came to Damascus pursuing Christians and he fled Damascus by being lowered in a basket through an opening in a wall to escape the Jews.
The main point was, Saul has this “life moment” where he realized that he is not living “his life’s purpose”, but after Saul encountered Christ, he began living for Christ, and began living “his purpose”.
Sometimes God breaks into a life in a spectacular manner like this, but most conversions are a personal, quiet experience. In either case, you first must become “weak” and recognize you are in need of Christ to become “Forged” in Him and have “The Strength of Living in Weakness” by Embracing your Purpose In Him.
