We've all felt it. Weakness. The feeling that we'll never get it all together, we'll never quite measure up. Victory eludes us. Strength and confidence seem to slip away. The person we want to be is just beyond our reach.
I confess that if you asked me to describe myself in a few words, "weak" would not be at the top of my list. My weaknesses frustrate me. I'd rather Jesus just remove them so I could feel better about myself. I want Jesus to make my life easier.
But when I come to Jesus with a "why-won't-you-just-fix-this" attitude, I’m no better than the crowds that followed him around demanding miraculous signs. I’m not really looking for Jesus; I’m just looking for a show.
John writes about Jesus' encounter with one such crowd—the five thousand. Jesus fed this sizable troupe with a meager five loaves of bread and two fish, a miracle so memorable it's recorded in all four gospels. And yet we get a glimpse into their unbelief when they catch up with Jesus the very next day.
Upon meeting the crowd on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus says to them, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill" (John 6:26). These sensation-seekers weren't following Jesus because they saw God at work in him, they were more excited about the prospect of a free meal!
He goes on to draw a correlation between manna, the bread from heaven, and the old covenant law, calling it “food that spoils” (v. 27). Jesus then declares himself the bread of life that came down from heaven, a statement that squashes the crowd’s enthusiasm and turns their excitement to hostility. Scripture says after this “many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (v.66). Grace, it seems, can be difficult to swallow.
So what do we really want from Jesus? The crowd came to him weak with hunger. We, too, bring our weaknesses before God. Some of us lack the willpower to make healthy choices physically or financially. Others struggle with anger and harsh words that slip out too easily. Could be your weakness is impatience, lust, or pride.
No matter where we’re feeling less than victorious, the question we need to ask ourselves is: What do I want from Jesus? Am I looking for a miraculous sign? A cure-all? Will I grumble angrily and turn away if he doesn’t make all of my problems disappear?
Or will I humbly receive the grace he offers? Will I accept that Jesus—the bread of life—can nourish my soul far better than any miraculous meal ever could?
2 Corinthians 12:10 says that when we are at our weakest, we are actually strong. What if we renamed our weakness dependence—dependence on the only One powerful enough to save us from ourselves? What if we came to rely on and crave spiritual truth more than physical spectacle?
Jesus invites us to come to him when we are weak so that he may give us the bread of life—his body sacrificed on the cross for us. If we will accept his invitation into humility, grace, and dependence, we’ll begin to see God at work in our weaknesses. We will learn from them, hear God speaking to us through them, and we will know the strength that is found in his sufficiency. For when I am weak, then I am strong!
Lord, I am weak apart from you. Help me to trust and rely on your spiritual truths to see me through this day, and each one after it. Lead me to dependence and guide me into humility. Thank you for your grace poured out on me, your love surrounding me, and your sacrifice on the cross for me! In Jesus’ name, amen.
Reflection Questions
- Take a moment to write down areas in your life where you are feeling weak, and bring them to God in prayer.
- Psalm 51:17 says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” How does this verse comfort you?
- Scripture tells us that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). Ask Jesus to fill you with this spiritual truth the next time you’re feeling weak.