Dependent Through The Storm

Embracing Weakness To Find Strength.

Introduction

I don’t know about you, but personally, this year has been a never-ending storm thus far. There are so many things I believed would get easier but to my surprise life has gotten harder. I have witnessed several setbacks to plans that I have had throughout the year. However I find myself in an overwhelming state of gratitude as I reflect on what “should have been”. If there is one thing I have taken away from my year is that I am no longer allowed to live a life that is independent from God. This means that riding the storm is no longer a solo mission. Gone are the days when I could pretend to escape the storms of life with instant gratification. For every bit of affliction that I could sedate through instant gratification, the storms never seemed to go away. The storm would simply wait in postponement until it decides to consume the carnal methods of safety that never really worked in the first place. Now every-time I find myself in a storm, my mind gets transported back to my greatest storm and how I managed to overcome it.

I remember being sick and broke at the same time. The little money I had was spent on hospital bills and I didn’t even have the strength to enjoy the gift of life. To the carnal and logical mind, this was the weakest I have ever been. However in the realm of the spirit I have never been stronger because my weaknesses pushed me into a state of dependency on the one who is strong. Now when I look at my year so far I can call on several setbacks that were clearly orchestrated by God to remind me of this truth. Just when you think you’re ready to shoot for the stars, the authority of God’s universe has a funny way of reminding you that strength is found in dependency on the one who sits on the throne. If your life looks like a never-ending storm I have some bad news for you; it is exactly what it looks like. The good news however, is that you were designed to be carried through the never ending storm. My word of encouragement for you is to rely on the one who gets you through it; not to run away from it or try and get through it with your own strength.

The Disruption of The Storm

A storm is the violent disturbance of the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow. In your life, a storm might look like a health crisis, a financial crisis, or a mental crisis. Whatever the storm might look like to you, the principle of this disruptive force of nature remains the same. It temporarily shakes up the atmosphere until it returns. Those are the two realities of a storm: it causes disruption and it returns to cause even more disruption. What I find interesting is how perspective defines how we all deal with the various storms in our lives. Take the scenario of a midnight storm from two polarising realities. For the homeless man with no shelter, the storm is a disruptive nuisance that keeps him awake and uncomfortable through the night. He might use his hands and clothes to protect himself; but for the most part, it wouldn’t be sufficient for his safety and comfort. However, the man with a roof over his head isn’t burdened with protecting himself. He is protected by the structure that was built over him. Therefore the same storm becomes nothing but a therapeutic soundtrack to his dreams.

The storm will usually cause disruption to you when you are spiritually homeless. The experience of a storm when you are spiritually homeless looks like using your own strength, willpower and ability to overcome the heavy downpour. What is even worse is trying to avoid the storm by finding your safety in escapism and instant gratification. The harsh reality is that the storm cannot be avoided and you cannot be self sufficient in the protection of your own shelter.

Dependent Through The Storm

The solution to the unbearable disruptive storm you may find yourself in doesn’t lie in your willpower. There is simply nothing you can do to keep yourself standing in the midst of a hurricane. But what if you can find safety in the hand that the mighty hurricane bows down to? Your solution to overcome lies in the name and shelter of God being your ultimate source of dependency.

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

Proverbs 18:10

A name refers to more than just a title. A name refers to one’s reputation and character. Therefore a name can become a source of trust or a source of disappointment depending on the nature of the person behind that name. Therefore you need to examine who’s name your trust is in when life’s storms come your way. If you trust in your own name there will be a temptation to fight your battles and overcome your obstacles with your own weapons. The problem is that there are storms greater than your capabilities and there is no avoiding your encounters with them. For instance, my talent, health, experience and willpower couldn’t get me through the storm of sickness and depression. This particular giant pushed me to reorient my trust away from self and into the name above all names. I was only safe on the back end of the sobering realisation that my name was personally insufficient.

Now what is the track record of your name? I doubt it is any different to mine. The track record of a human reputation is one of infallibility. This is why there is a tendency to turn and hide from a storm by masking your afflictions with distracting forms of pleasure. This is because the average human being cannot truly trust in their name; and God doesn’t expect you to do so either. God wants you to trust in his name for the safety of your soul. The track record of his reputation has an eternal stamp of approval. Therefore by following this principle, there wouldn’t be a storm strong enough to defeat you because you rest in the tower that stands even in the heart of the strongest winds. This year I have experienced storms stronger than ever but my security comes from the strong tower I am learning to put my trust in.

Are You Facing A Storm Too Big For You To Handle?

If your answer is yes then you have just made a significant step towards the manifestation of God’s power working in and through your life. Pride truly comes before the fall; but recognising that you can’t stand is the spring of humility that invites the power of grace to keep you upright (James 4:6). There is no step by step strategy to depending on God apart from the first step being the recognition of your weakness. True strength comes from God and so does true wisdom. Therefore the only true strategy I can recommend starts with embracing your weakness and your ignorance. There is strength in weakness and wisdom in foolishness the moment you recognise that your will is inferior to God’s. My challenge to you is to check the building you put your trust in and not focus on the storms. The storms will come, but what fortress are you hiding in?

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

The fortress or the strong tower is actually the grace of God. That is the empowering source of strength and sufficiency needed to get through a storm. Grace is more than unmerited favour. It is the divine empowerment to do that which humanly speaking is impossible. Therefore you don’t need to add pillars to the strong tower of grace, or remove the foundations that have already been laid. You need to believe in the sufficiency of its strength while recognising the insufficiency of yours.

It’s time to depend on God.