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God doesn’t want you to be strong. Isn’t that counter-intuitive? Doesn’t scripture tell us to be strong and courageous?

You bet it does. You bet we need to be strong.

Most of the time. Because what we so often try to do is be strong in our own power, only to learn we are total wimps.

I’ve done this. I’ve tried to be strong.

I could share with you plenty of times when I’ve been faced with some adversity or another. I’ve girded my loins and walked into the fray. And I’ve been slapped down.

Having been in ministry most of my adult life, the times I’ve needed to be strong have often been in the local church.

I’ll say it: some of the meanest folks I’ve ever known have been people who were at the church every time the doors were opened.

I can only speak for Southern Baptists here, and specifically those Southern Baptist churches that are “led” by the deacons or committees or what have you.

I remember once having to go to a church finance committee meeting. I knew I’d be called on to justify some expenses I’d put on the church credit card. These were expenses I’d planned for and gotten permission for. Smooth sailing, right?

If only. I’ll spare you the details, but what happened in this meeting was that one individual who will remain nameless absolutely filleted me. Flayed me alive.

I thought while this was happening, “I have to be strong. I have to take this and come up with an appropriate reply. And, no matter what, I don’t need to cry in front of these people even though I want to.”

After said individual paused for breath, I thought to myself, “I got nuthin’.” As a result, I just caved. Even though I knew I was right.

This is just one little story out of a possible gazillion or so I could share. I was shamed because I wasn’t strong.

In retrospect (and isn’t it always in retrospect?), I see now that I should have prepared myself spiritually before the meeting instead of personally winging it in the moment.

God doesn’t want you to be strong. At least, He doesn’t want you to be strong in your own feeble resources. It’s strength in Him we’re talking about.

We can apply this simple principle to most any arena of life – friends, family, work, school, whatever.

Here’s why.

God knows your strength is spent. He knows you’ve fought significant battles. God knows you’ve fought health issues, relational issues, financial issues, all of that.

He knows how long the road has been. God knows that you’ve faced a weariness that goes beyond the physical. He knows you’ve been weary in your soul.

Here’s His word. It’s pretty basic:

”Be still and know that I am God.”

Shocker, right? It’s not like we’ve never heard that. The question is, “Have we lived it?”

I’m persuaded that many of mankind’s ills grow out of an inability to be still and quiet. We’re busy folks. We have stuff to do. Good stuff.

And yet, when we are tapped out, bone weary, mentally and emotionally drained, what are we to do? Work harder? Nope.

Rest.

That’s a non-negotiable. It’s just being productively still. Purposeful rest, as it were.

I’ll toss in another analogy.

Picture an empty cup. It’s in your hands. And like the good believer that you are, you pray, “Fill my cup, Lord.” You are asking that it be filled with that living water. His living water.

While you are holding your cup out, you’re wandering around. You are aimlessly walking in little circles. Or you’re darting frantically from place to place.

You aren’t still enough for God to fill your cup. Get it? It’s like the water is about to flow and you keep wandering off. Or the water sloshes out.

Here’s the deceptively easy solution.

Be still. Be still.

Just wait. And, yes, waiting is hard work. We’ve been programmed in our western culture to be busy and active. There’s a place for purposeful activity, perhaps, but not at the expense of having our spiritual cups filled.

God doesn’t want you to be strong. He wants you to be still.

Then He provides the strength. You don’t have to dig deep to find it. It’s readily accessible.

Hold out that cup. Be still. Be quiet. Listen. That’s all He asks.