I do not think of myself as strong. Particularly not physically (I’m short and have ZERO upper body strength…not someone to fear.) Neither do I tend to think of myself as strong emotionally.
I have had people tell me that they think I”m strong and I am amazed and, secretly, wonder if they really know who they are talking to. It’s one of those traits I aspire to.
A big reader, I tend to gravitate to stories about strong women. Women who have shown themselves to be strong in the face of adversity. One of my favorites is a book called Letters Of A Woman Homesteader. It’s a true story and one that never fails to make me wish I could be like that woman. (Maybe without the snow that she found in the Dakotas!)
God calls us to be strong. All of us. Joshua 1:7 says…Be strong; be resolute; do not be fearful or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Those are some very direct statements. He doesn’t ask us to try to be strong, he said Be Strong. No messing around. Be Resolute (that means know what you are doing and get to it.). Do Not Be Fearful or Dismayed. We’ll talk about the role that fear plays in our lives on another day. But it’s a biggie, isn’t it?
After the statements, comes the promise…we can always rest on the promises. For The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go. Always with you. In tough meetings, when the kids are behaving in an embarassing fashion at the grocery store, when you are fighting with your husband. Always. No matter what.
That gives me strength. Being strong isn’t something that I can do, but I gain that strength through God. Because he is always with me.
Want to arm wrestle?
