Hey you! Yes, you. How many times have you said to others or you, yourself, been told to “Be strong”? Whether it’s in response to the death of a loved one, to sickness, or to simply going through a rough time, the “Be strong!” phrase is always commented by at least one, usually well-intentioned person.
There’s an old proverb: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions!” It bears repeating that these two words—“Be strong!”—are overly used platitudes. They come from a sincere place, again often from pure hearts; yet, they can be so insensitive and imperceptive. Telling someone to “Be strong!” insinuates that they can’t show any weakness (i.e. emotion), especially in the moments which are naturally meant for them to be weak (or emotional). It becomes a gloss-over, trite expression that is unhealthily processed; in turn, upon negatively internalizing, it becomes a worn and tattered badge of honor.
As God was making us in His image and likeliness, He designed us to solely rely on Him. We all have certain God-made deficiencies as well as moments of weakness. No matter how much we pray, honor, and serve God, we will all experiences life events that will deplete our strength. God knew this, and in His infinite wisdom reminds us through Paul that it’s okay to be weak. 1st Corinthians 12:9 says; “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.“
I encourage you and myself to remove the facade of strength in moments that you’re actually weak. I pray that in those weak moments, you feel the power exchange of God’s strength recharging you. I pray that this blog makes you more aware of the power of your words, even when an innocent intent is behind them. Most importantly, I pray that you know that being strong is not your only option. It’s okay to be weak sometimes. You don’t have to be strong. After all, that’s God’s job!
Σχόλια