Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Henry Ward Beecher
Humility
How can God use anyone that thinks too highly of themselves? Until they empty themselves of self, God cannot fill them with His Spirit. God resists every prideful person, but for people who are humbled, God gives them His grace (James 4:6). A humble person is a person that is still teachable, admits mistakes, and lives a life that puts the interests of others ahead of their own. That’s why God sees humility as strength of character.
Passion
Jeremiah wrote about a fire in his bosom that he could not contain (Jer 20:9), and the reason the called him the weeping prophet, is because he knew his people were going to fall into captivity, and all he could do was warn them. God told Jeremiah that they wouldn’t listen to him, but it was still his responsibility to tell them, but his passion for his people moved him to tears and to witness, even though the witness fell on closed ears. Having a passion for the lost is a strength that doesn’t depend on being strong.
Serving
The worth of a person doesn’t depend on who has the most servants but the greatest is the one who is a servant of the most. That’s the way Jesus looked at it. Unless we are serving others, God is not able to use us, but when we yield to God and His Spirit and let Him have His way with us, we can forget about ourselves and think about others. That allows us to serve with no hidden agenda or secret motivation. Serving and giving is not about the amount, but about the heart.
Obedience
For a time, Samson used his strength to bring judgment to the Philistines and other pagan nations, but then he began to use his strength for things that it wasn’t intended for (like anger, and not honoring his parents). Not only that, Samson’s disobedience eventually left him with no strength at all. It wasn’t so much Samson’s hair being cut that weakened him; it was his disobedience. It had weakened him to the point that he could be deceived by Delilah.
Conclusion
Strength can be a blessing and a curse. It can prove helpful for doing some things, but it can be destructive in doing something else, so it is true that, “Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right using of strength.” That includes humility, passion, servanthood, and obedience.
