Weakness is a blessing in disguise . . .

What do most parents say when their children are feeling inadequate? I know what I used to say: “You can do it. You are smart, capable . . . .” These are the ways we try to build self-worth, self-esteem. I defended them when they felt threatened and tried to build their pride. While my three grew up with a strong sense of justice, they also are independent (like their mother) which makes trusting God a bigger challenge.

Today’s devotional spells out that our culture is enmeshed in the promotion of self-worth and self-promotion. People demand their ‘rights’ and wind up doing what is right in their own eyes. Because our sin nature is proud and selfish, this does not need to be taught or caught — it just is.

I’ve noticed that some ‘Christian’ churches promote the idea that people should feel good about themselves. Humanity is honored rather than God, and very little if anything is said about the value of a broken and contrite heart, or about death to self and submission to God and to human authorities. Many seem to forget that Jesus said:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:3–6)

Jesus was speaking in the context of a culture who valued the Word of God, of a people who were familiar with the Old Testament verses that spoke of the value of deep contrition and humility. They knew the words of their beloved King David as he confessed his sin:

“Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.” (Psalm 51:4)

They also knew these words and the truth of them:

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)

“All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2)

 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” (Zechariah 12:10)

Those who trusted the Lord and knew the value of being broken before Him, also knew what to do when they were overwhelmed by sin and that deep sense of being broken, even destroyed by their sin:

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:17–19)

Like David, those who are humble and contrite in spirit will ‘take sides with God against himself, justifying God in their own condemnation’ and when we do that, we are justified by God and freed from all condemnation.

^^^^^^^

Jesus, the principles of living in Your kingdom are entirely opposite of the principles of this world. Here, humanity is convinced that the only way to be built up is by exalting oneself, but in the kingdom, we are given worth by being without it and by relying on You as our worth. You “became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” (1 Corinthians 1:30) No matter how terrible I feel about myself or how broken-hearted I am over my sinfulness, nothing can destroy what I have in You.