Would it surprise you to learn that in 8th grade I was a member of the school wrestling team? I can see you nodding your head and thinking, “Yeah Rod – surprising indeed!” I was the
skinniest and scrawniest kid in the whole 8th grade. So why was I on the wrestling team? The
coach recruited me because almost all the schools we competed against did not even field a
wrestler in the lowest weight class that I would be in (it was like under 50 pounds or something like that 🙂 When it was time for our wrestling meets, my match typically consisted of me walking out to the center mat and the referee raising my arm as winner by forfeit. And thus ends the story of my athletic glory days.
I’ve been thinking about my wrestling “career” in the context of our theme for this school year
“Feel the Power!” based on 2 Timothy 1:7. My favorite Bible verse is 2 Corinthians 12:9: “But
he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’
Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may
rest upon me.” I was a winner in 8th grade wrestling meets not in spite of my physical weakness but because of it. Our faith walk with Jesus works the same way. We might think our faith is too weak, or our words aren’t smart enough, or we don’t know our Bible well enough. But those things are not barriers to God’s will being done; He can use you and your weaknesses for great things. Never let your perceived faults and deficits stand in the way of doing God’s work; put all your trust in Jesus knowing His power will work in and through you to accomplish amazing things in His name.