die Kraft – strength, power
IPA: [kʁaft]
Meaning: Capability, ability to work; (physical or mental) strength[1]
Etymology: From Middle High German and Old High German kraft, originally meaning contraction (of the muscles).[2]
2. Korinther 12,9 Und er hat zu mir gesagt: Meine Gnade genügt dir, denn meine Kraft wird in Schwachheit vollbracht. Daher will ich am allerliebsten mich vielmehr meiner Schwachheiten rühmen, auf daß die Kraft des Christus über mir wohne.
2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Recently, I broke down and cried when I realised that I was struggling very much with my weight and food.
I had thought that I was over this stage in my life, but it’s coming back. A year ago I had a different set of struggles. I didn’t worry about food – or rather, I did, but the problem was more of that I could still control myself, but I would feel guilty for eating even a bit more. I don’t think that’s necessarily better.
But this other side that I’ve swung to is not healthy for my mind either. I know I’m going overboard more and more often. Then the guilt really sets in and I realise I’ve been avoiding and, well, things are just bad.
It was around this time that I came across a class on BiblicalTraining.org.
I had found the site when preparing for the lesson I shared during Sunday School – but it was the Greek lessons that caught my interest then.
But when it came up in a conversation with someone, this time, I took another look at the site and found the class on Spiritual Formation. It was more than anything what I needed, and I know it wasn’t by chance.
One of the ideas from the beginning was about relying on God, that without him we can truly do nothing.
Johannes 15,5 Ich bin der Weinstock, ihr seid die Reben. Wer in mir bleibt und ich in ihm, dieser bringt viel Frucht, denn außer mir könnt ihr nichts tun.
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
I know I am guilty of knowing it only as head knowledge, not heart knowledge. It’s one of those things that you think you know, but then when push comes to shove, when life throws something at you, that you realise that you haven’t got this at all. I do think it’s part of the growth process as a Christian, but to the point of this verse, what struck me the most was that God’s strength is made perfect in our weaknesses.
This sort of reliance and dependence on something other than ourselves runs contrary to what the world teaches.
The world tells us that strength is made perfect in strength, our own strength.
But the Bible teaches us otherwise.
And it’s a tough pill to swallow, to realise that at any time, we could just disappear from the world if the Lord wills it. Yet we choose, more often than not, to act as though that this life is all our own, and that we are the masters of our own destinies.
Leave a Reply