Whether male or female, many of us look at strength as a physical attribute allowing us power to face demanding situations and overcome challenges as individuals or by sure numbers of people and weapons. Every May, Russia celebrates its might in the Victory Day parade with its armed forces and armaments so that anyone thinking they can conquer them by force needs to think twice before doing anything.
In Hebrew Scriptures (1 Samuel 17:32-58) David, before he was anointed king of Israel, defeated the giant warrior Goliath of the Philistines with a sling shot and a stone because of his unwavering trust in God’s strength. Likewise, Samson was blessed with supernatural strength because of his dedication to God’s plan and destroyed 3,000 Philistines in a temple (Judges 16:23-31). Both individuals demonstrated great strength through their faith and obedience to God in addition to their physical prowess.
In my early years of life, I connected strength with physical aptitude such as men who could lift heavy weights, wrestle or with comic book characters like Superman. That definition for me created a tough guy who always had the upper hand when it came to doing things my way. I was the bully on our block or in school. My mantra was, “don’t mess with me.”
Fourth grade at St. Mary of the Lake Catholic school on the north side of Chicago and a run-in with bullies on the block where we lived changed my mantra into an attitude of acceptance for the betterment of all. School redefined the meaning about strength for me. Their teachings taught about strength in the form of living a life that is effective in the areas of morality, than rearrange my face to his likening.
Biblically, strength is about relying on God for guidance and support. Followers are asked to seek strength through faith, prayer, meditation and finding solace in the belief that we are not alone in our struggles. In this journey, we receive hope and a path of purpose enabling us to navigate life’s complexities with confidence.
The importance of strength in today’s world provides the motivation and determination to overcome challenges and achieve goals. It enables us to face fear, step out of our comfort zones and embrace opportunities for growth.
As practicing Catholics, our strength needs to face into cultural shifts, secularization and internal division. We must be unwavering in our commitment to biblical doctrine, vibrant worship, meaningful fellowship and impactful outreach. We are the Church who must take the necessary steps to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic in everything we do to maintain a working relationship with God.
To help us better understand what strength is and how to use it, here are some Scripture passages to think about when we make decisions on using strength:
Exodus
15:2 – “My strength and my courage is the Lord,
and
He has been my savior.”
Joshua
1:9 – “I command you: Be strong and steadfast!
Do not
fear nor be dismayed for the Lord,
your God, is with you wherever
you go.”
Jeremiah 9:22-23 – “Let
not the wise man glory in his
wisdom, nor the strong man glory in
his
strength, nor the rich man glory in
his riches, but rather,
let him who glories, glory in this, that in his prudence he knows Me.”
Ephesians
6:10 – “Finally, draw your strength from the
Lord and His mighty power.”
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