Fragile Hearts Beat Strong

“Jesus replied, ‘what is impossible with man is possible with God.’”
Luke 18:27

You may assume this verse is solely referring to miracles but, in its context, it’s actually referring to matters of the heart. Things that seem difficult or even impossible are made possible with divine intervention. This includes loving the unlovable and forgiving the unforgivable.

Society has a way of twisting the truth, don’t you agree? We are taught that being meek automatically makes you weak – and that weakness is something to be ashamed of.

One definition of fragile is “delicate and vulnerable.” Delicate is defined as “very fine in structure: of intricate workmanship or quality”. An example given is that of a spider web. Delicate yet strong. A given weight of spider silk is five times as strong as the same weight in steel. Something that seems so frail can withstand immense pressure.

Forgive others – yes, even when they don’t deserve it. Another twisted idea in society is that we somehow have the right to determine someone else’s fate. That we have the right to make them atone for their mistakes. This drives me insane! People will often tell you that forgiving someone is letting them off too easy and is a sign of weakness, but look closer…

The meaning of life on this earth as a Christian is to shine a light on Jesus – to point others to him with our actions and not just our words. Harboring bitterness is only going to hurt your relationship with God. How can we encourage people to have a relationship with a God that we aren’t even in tune with ourselves? I realize that plenty of us have had some bad experiences with people that identify themselves as Christian, myself included. You cannot allow the worst followers of Jesus to be your best excuse for holding a grudge. When you hold a grudge, you are just holding yourself back from the life you were created to live. The world will tell you to put up a wall and protect yourself against people who have wronged you – but Jesus has a completely different approach.

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
1 Peter 4:8

Jesus was living (and dying..then living again…) proof that forgiving and loving those who betray you takes far more strength than allowing yourself to be consumed with bitterness. It’s easy to want revenge or justice for someone who has wronged you, but it takes true strength and tact to forgive.

Have a heart so strong that it breaks for those that turn against you. Be so strong that the opinion of God matters more to you than the opinion of man.

“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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:9-10

By Emily Meadows

https://medium.com/@ByBreadcrumbs