450 to 1 as they went out to fight 135,000 enemy troops. It
appearedto be a recipe for disaster, but God did it so Israel
would know it was God’s power, not their own strength, that
saved them.
Our weaknesses also encourage fellowship between believers.
While strength breeds an independent spirit (“I don’t need
anyone else”), our limitations show
how much we need each other.
When we weave the weak strands of
our lives together, a rope of great
strength is created. Vance Havner
quipped, “Christians, like
snowflakes, are frail, but when they
stick together they can stop traffic.”
Most of all, our weaknesses increase our capacity for sympathy
and ministry. We are far more likely to be compassionate and
considerate of the weaknesses of others. God wants you to have a
Christlike ministry on earth. That means other people are going
to find healing in your wounds. Your greatest life messages and
your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts.
The things you’re most embarrassed about, most ashamed of, and
most reluctant to share are the very tools God can use most
powerfully to heal others.
The great missionary Hudson Taylor said, “All God’s giants
were weak people.” Moses’ weakness was his temper. It caused
him to murder an Egyptian, strike the rock he was supposed to
speak to, and break the tablets of the Ten Commandments. Yet
God transformed Moses into “the humblest man on earth.”^11
Gideon’s weakness was low self-esteem and deep insecurities,
but God transformed him into a“mighty man of valor.”^12
Abraham’s weakness was fear. Not once, but twice, he claimed his
wife was his sister to protect himself. But God transformed
Abraham into “the father of those who have faith.”^13 Impulsive,
weak-willed Peter became “a rock,”^14 the adulterer David became
PURPOSE #4: You Were Shaped for Serving God 275
Your most effective ministry
will come out of your
deepest hurts.