Measuring weight against Christ’s strength

When we moved into our house, we had several giant, heavy rocks in our backyard. They were nice rocks, more like small boulders but they were oddly placed. We wanted to move them from the backyard to the front.

The only problem was I couldn't lift them. Not even close.

These obnoxious, decorative rocks were here to stay. They were stuck and so was I. When I measured the weight of those rocks against my own strength, I lost every time.

But what if I brought in a small tractor?  And what if that tractor was rigged with a lift that was perfectly designed to carry and relocate heavy objects?

Measuring the weight of the rocks against the strength of the tractor evened the scales, even flipped them. This is doable! My mindset shifted. Rest and relief would fall upon me and my lower back.

My friend Paula Lynam once shared that God often asks us to lead from weakness. She said, “If you say yes, your limitations will have limitless potential.” Paula spoke from the heart of Jesus and today I hear this truth: no matter the circumstance, measure the weight of what is before you against God's strength, not your own. 

How do I move forward when circumstances are too heavy?

If we measure the circumstances associated with Covid-19 against our strength, despair will fall heavy upon our soul.  

But if we measure what is before us according to the strength of Christ and His power within, that changes things. Sometimes we need to have faith way before the day we draw on God's strength.

In the moments before David and Goliath squared off, we can see this everyday lesson play out.

"Then Saul said to David,'You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth (1 Sam 17:33)."  

Those rocks are too heavy to lift.

"David replied, 'The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine" (v. 37).

Three little rocks will do.

Of course when Goliath sees David he looks at him and taunts him. In a way, I hear similar mental taunts all the time. Even watching the news can cast a heavy weight upon my mind. 

But what I love most is how David weighs the greatness of Goliath against the armies of the Living God. 

"You come to me with a sword, a spear and a javelin, but I come to you in the Name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, who you have taunted."

That phrase, In the Name, speaks of covenant union. David came in that Name. He entered that situation weighing the obstacle, not according to himself, but according to the God to whom he was joined.

The beauty here is that we believers are in His great Name. We humbly come into all situations interconnected with the mighty power of God. Claiming and anticipating Christ's power casts a shadow on the opportunities and obstacles before you and me. 

What might happen if we allow our focus to shift from the strength of our lower back to the strength of a tractor? 

In the end, we had that small tractor come and move those rocks. It was light work. 

What might it look like to weigh the heaviness in your life against our union with the Living God? I don’t know about you, but my mind needs a lightness and a hope. 

Often we end our prayers by saying, in Your Name we pray. May that be the moment to remember that we measure all weight against the strength of Christ himself. 

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Very recently our friend Paula went home to be with the Lord after her fight with cancer. Because of this global pandemic and stay-at-home order, only a small group of her family were able to gather to celebrate her life. Please pray for her husband Steve as he continues to grieve his incredible loss in the midst of this lonely season. If you would like to learn more about her life and their work simply click here.