Do you think it’s harder for us, here in America, to hear the voice of God? Do you think, in all our busyness, in all our running from here to there, our chasing success and comfort, that we miss out on witnessing God move?
Sometimes I wonder.
Jesus came to earth and flipped the world on its head. The ultimate King, the Lord of Lords, the Creator of the Universe, all authority and dominion are his – yet he comes to earth as a man and washes the disciples’ feet. He saves a prostitute from stoning. He touches lepers. He ministers to the lowly. He uses the despised things of this world to glorify his name. Like an executioner’s cross to bring salvation to the world.
Then Paul adds to the confusion by saying, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” It makes no sense. Not in our world’s economy. How can I be strong when I’m weak?
This reminds me of Nairobi, Kenya. More specifically Kibera – the biggest slum in sub-Sahara Africa. I walked the streets of that place. The stench was unbearable. Imagine standing in the foulest of porta-potties. Imagine tin shacks crammed so tightly together they’re practically stacked on top of one another. Imagine streams of human excrement flowing past front doors, sometimes through houses.
I was there. A few years ago. Eager to offer encouragement and pray for these people who so obviously needed it. Only when I got there, I couldn’t think straight. We went into this woman’s home. A woman sick with HIV. A woman trying to raise six children in a tiny shack, three of whom were not her own, but her dead sister’s. I sat inside her home. Cramped. Hot. Uncomfortable. Craving America. Craving the comfort and peace of the familiar. And then something pretty unbelievable happened.
This woman started talking. Words poured out of her mouth. Words about Jesus, her redeemer and savior. She was positively glowing. I remember sitting there, tears streaming down my face, because this woman – this lowly woman – was encouraging me.
I think it’s so easy for us, here in America, to “do it on our own”. Who needs God when we have a roof over our head? Who needs God when we have jobs that pay the bills? Who needs God when we have cable, high-speed Internet, fast cars, recycling bins, comfortable beds, doctors, medicine, and plastic surgery?
God’s voice is so muted here. Not because He lacks power. But because we’re too busy and comfortable to stop and listen. But in Africa? In places like that woman’s filthy shack? God’s voice shouts. It shakes the walls with power and might. And I see with clarity His hand moving. Working miracles. Even now.
I think there is a special blessing for that woman living in Africa. She knew, with absolute assurance, that Jesus was enough. That He was all she needed. Of course she knew. Because Jesus was all she had.
In her weakness, God revealed His perfect strength. And all of a sudden, Paul’s words make sense.
Question to Ponder: Are you listening?
