In Quiet Strength

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

Just recently, I received a heart felt compliment from a friend, "Cathy, you have a quiet strength about you."  Now, I have a difficult time receiving compliments.  Why?  Because I struggle with insecurity - I sometimes succumb to the lies the Enemy flings at me to tear me down.  Therefore, when I receive a compliment, I tend to 'shoo' it away or down play it.  So when this dear friend paid me this compliment, I looked around to make sure I was the only one there she was talking to, then pointed to myself as if to say, "Who, me?"  I never would have even thought this of myself.  In fact, I don't think this of myself at all.  I thanked her for the compliment but what I really wanted to say was, "Lady, you have no idea!"  But due to the circumstances and the setting, I didn't have much time to respond. Then, just days later, I had another dear friend make a similar compliment in her blog.  "Whoa!"  I thought.  "This isn't me! I'm not really this person they are talking about, am I?"

But in my quiet time this morning, God brought this issue back up.  Each time I tried to push it out of my mind, it would bubble right back up to the surface of my thoughts.  It took a little while, but I finally figured out that God wanted to deal with me on this.  So, as these compliments replayed through my mind, I felt a familiar tug at my heart - His Spirit - showing me that there was truth in these words.  Then it hit me.  The quiet strength my friend saw in me was not my own, but Christ in me!  Oh, it all made sense now!  God was reminding me that I am strong - not because of me but because of Him!

And when I down play such compliments, I am minimizing the importance of a work HE was doing INSIDE of me!  With this, I realized I missed an opportunity to boldly witness to this friend simply because I was so 'humble' that I barely could utter a simple 'Thank you.'  I was so self-absorbed in my own insecurities that I missed out on testifying to someone the changing power of Jesus Christ - how HE took a weak, insecure little girl and gave her strength - growing her up in His image!

This quiet strength that my friend spoke of is not my own.  It is an answer to a prayer that I've prayed for years, "I can do all things through Christ who strenthens me." (Philippians 4:13).  Throughout our lives -  college, graduate school with a newborn, health crisis & cancer, career changes, and ministry - Christ has been the source of my strength.  I've relied heavily upon Him through the years.  He had ALWAYS been faithful.   For you see, on my own, I can do nothing because I am weak.  But with Christ in me, I CAN do EVERYTHING! 

So, to my dear friends who complimented me, thank you on behalf of my Lord and Savior.  It is His strength you see in me, not my own.  The good news is that we all can have access to this strength if we simply surrender all that we are to Him.  For we are strongest when we are on our knees before Him!

Grace and peace, friends!

In His Love, Cathy