Strength from God

 

Who is the strongest person you know? When I was a small boy, I thought my dad was the strongest man. He could lift me over his head. As I got older, he could no longer lift me over his head. So, who did I think was the strongest person?

One day, I was watching studio wrestling on TV. That’s what wrestling was called in the 1960’s – studio wrestling. I saw a man lift grown men over his head and drop them onto the wrestling mat. His name was Bruno Sammartino. He was big and strong. Then, as an adult I met Bruno Sammartino. He was still big, but not as big as I remember. I am sure he was still strong, but he was sitting down, signing autographs for kids, not lifting men over his head. I started to wonder again who the strongest person is.

You can think of strength in terms of the body. You can think of strength in terms of money or political power or personal persuasion, but have you thought of it in terms of the soul?

I ask that because of Paul’s Letter to Timothy. Paul writes, “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service” (1 Tim 1:12). Physically, financially, politically or persuasively, Paul was not strong. He was a man with average strength; and when placed in jail, he could not break out.

Paul’s preaching and writing changed the world. He wrote that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, and I am the worst sinner. The strongest people know they are sinful, weak and powerless, and need the grace of God to do anything.

With that, let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their parents the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.