Strength’s Weakness
2 Kings 20:12-13
“At that time Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.”
There is no doubt that Hezekiah was a great king. The Scriptures say about Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18:5, “He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.” You will notice that Hezekiah’s strength was his trust in God. God said nobody before or after him trusted Him like Hezekiah. That is a strong endorsement of this man. Yet, in the verse above we see that Hezekiah failed in the area where he was strong. Instead of trusting God, he allowed the king of Babylon to come and see all his treasures. Hezekiah failed in the area of his strength. I believe that he felt that God would protect him even if he let this king see all his treasures.
It is a common thing for people to fail where they are strong. Satan knows that if he can get us to fail in the area of our strength then he can destroy our confidence. Many people in the Scriptures failed in the area of their strength. Abraham was a man of faith, yet he failed in that area when he told his wife to say that she was his sister. David was a man after God’s own heart, yet he failed in that area when he committed the great sin with Bathsheba. Paul was strong in his testimony for Christ, yet he failed in this area by taking the Jewish oath. Peter was strong in the area of standing strong for Jesus Christ, yet he failed when he denied Christ three times. The strength of these people became their weakness. Where they thought they would never fail they failed.
Christian, you must always be aware that your strength can be your weakness. For instance, stubbornness can be a strength, but you can be so stubborn that you won’t let anyone help you to better yourself in an area. Loyalty can be a strength, but it can become a weakness when you place that loyalty in man. Love for truth can be a strength, but it will weaken you if you don’t exercise grace with it. Some people have a strength for love, but that strength can become weak when they love a person so much that they will compromise what they believe so as not to hurt them. On and on we could go to show how strengths can become weaknesses.
Let me warn you to watch the area where you are strong. First, don’t become so confident in your strength that you don’t think you will ever fall in that area. That is exactly what Satan would want. Second, be sure to work on the opposite trait of your strength so that your strength doesn’t become your weakness. Always realize that if you’re strong in one area, then that strength will make you weak in another area. Learn to balance your life in such a manner that there is not one area where you are stronger than another. Make all areas of your life strong.
The way to make every area strong is to study the Scriptures and apply the truths you learn to your life. The purpose of the Scriptures is to make you “thoroughly furnished” in every area of your life. Be careful that you don’t become so confident in your strength that the Devil uses it against you. Always realize that your strength is in the LORD, and always rely on Him, even in the area of your strength.