Where do we get our strength?
I posted earlier this week about how caring for my family makes me strong. I need “a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue.” as John Eldredge said in his book “Wild at Heart”. I need to have that strength validated. I need to know that my wife feels fought for. I need to know that my children feel safe with daddy around. I need to know that this strength has a purpose. Caring for my family helps make me stronger but it is not where my strength comes from. Psalm 121:1-5 says:
It’s encouraging to know that I don’t have to do this on my own strength. So often I find myself in the situation where I’ve over-committed and taken on responsibilities simply because no one else would. I can’t carry the weight of the world on my shoulders no matter how hard I try (and believe me, I’ve tried!). It’s taken a long time to learn how to say “no” to projects and is still something I have to pay close attention to. I’m no longer a single guy who can take on any task no matter how big or time consuming it is; every moment away from my family is painful for us all.
