BE A STRONG MAN
King David was a strong man, that faced many challenges and won many battles and when his life was ending, he admonished his son, Solomon, be a strong man [1 King 2:2]. If you must be a good leader you must first be not only a man but a real man. It means be a man who knows, trusts and depends on God; one led by the Spirit of God. A strong man has a Spirit of power, love and self control. In this context, a man in old English form had a default meaning of an adult human male (not a boy or adolescent). A male human endowed with qualities such as strength of inner mind, independent in judgment and action as well as sexuality. Also, strong literally means, having force of character, will, morality or intelligence such that is capable of withstanding force or wear; solid, tough and firm. He’s not easily upset; resistant to harmful or unpleasant influences. He is also persuasive, effective and cogent; having force of conviction, feeling of love and uncompromising. He must be forthright, explicit and honest, etc. A strong man is powerful and his power comes from God and not from flesh, body or will. God’s spirit gives us power that make us strong and do what God proposes us to do and be. God had chosen us to live his life through the power of His strength. Our focus should not rest on our weaknesses but on the God’s power and strength inside us. I may be weak outwardly but inside I am strong in the Lord.
In his book: Be a Man, Rev. Fr. Larry Richards said, “To be a true man, we have to focus on the gifts that God gave us, His strength being one of them.” Every God’s champion had one attribute: “And God was with him or he finds favor with the Lord.” One day of favor with God overcomes and surpasses hundred days of labor. A real man possesses determination, courage and inward strength of God. Looking at the stories of God’s leaders in the scriptures, they were men that were endued with the Spirit of God. From Abraham, Moses to Joshua, Samuel, Samson, David, Joseph, John the Baptist and Paul, etc. These people depended not on their strengths but on God’s power upon them. That depends on their calling; the decision they took and the responsibilities they made. Even Jesus Christ, the Son of God on the day He was baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan; immediately stepping out of the water, He saw the heaven opened and the Spirit descended upon Him like a dove. And a voice from God, the Father declared, you are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased [Mark 1:9-11].
The men God uses are men like us and they have weaknesses and shortcomings. They give excuses, some complain of their disabilities and others of inadequacies. They have burdens and do not know the outcome of their journeys but lived in obedience. Like Paul, concerning this thing, I pleaded with God three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect (complete) in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecution, in distress for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak then I am strong” [2 Corinthians 12:8-10]. Orison Swett Marden said, “Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.” If we desire to be strong, we should overlook our personal disabilities, shortcoming and circumstances. We should look unto the Lord Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of our faith [Hebrew 12:2] and depend on His strength, power and promises; knowing that we can do nothing on our own [John15:5]. However, we can do all things through Christ who is our strength [Philippians 4:13]. Paul attested to this faithful fact in his letter to the saint in Philippi which also applies to all believers. One may be tempted to ask: Can I really do all things? The answer is yes, if you believe and put faith on God. It is not by your power but His; not your strength but His. We must depend on God for everything. What His promises say He shall do, believe Him, He shall bring them to pass. He has never failed and cannot lie. He shall not share His glory with anybody.
God choose the weak and make them strong. God chooses you and He does not want you to be a coward, but want you to live by the power He has chosen to give you, living your life not in defeat and weakness but in His power and strength. God did not give us a Spirit of timidity but a Spirit of power and love and self control [2Timothy 1:7]. With our strength from nigh, we can do exactly what God has purposed for us. We are called to have disciplined life. “He dies for lack of discipline” [Proverbs 5:23]. If you do not have disciplined life, you won’t grow in strength. Every believer needs a measure of self discipline; both spiritually and physically. Little surprised that William J. H. Boetcker wrote, “That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong.”Are you a strong man? Pilate said of Jesus, behold the man! (John19:5b). Hebrews 11 is hall of fame of faithful people; men who depended on God not on their circumstances. They were obedient not knowing outcome. In our world today, some men have become so feminine to be a man, talk less being a strong man. Men are different from women. God created men and women differently for a purpose. Men were created to be masculine in nature. Gone are the days when the strengths of men were evaluated by fighting tribal and racial wars and murdering their enemies; not even acquiring educational head knowledge can justify and qualify one as a strong man. It’s the anointing of God that makes one strong; not physical power, witchcraft or charms and fetishes. For example: In 1 Samuel 17, Goliath was strong and expertise on his armours; had an intimidating height of six cubits and a span and defied all the armies of Israel. When Goliath spoke, the armies of Israel including King Saul were terrified and sore afraid. Yet he could not pass the test of a real man. “It takes a strong man to swim against the current; any dead fish will float with it.”
In 1 Samuel 16, the Priest Samuel anointed David and the Spirit of God came upon him (vs.13), while in vs. 14 the Spirit of God departed from King Saul and the evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. So King Saul went to that battle without the anointing of God. However, when the champion of the Philistines met with David, a man who had the anointing of God, the music of the battle changed; the little young man with God’s super power defeated the champion of the uncircumcised nation. Anointing broke the yokes and made the difference; it comes from God not man. Some people are anointed and blessed but do not know it. “A man that is in honor and does not understand is like a beast that perish” [Psalm 49:20].
A strong man makes a loving husband and a great father. “Blessed is a man who fears the Lord that delights greatly in His commandments…… he guides his affairs with discretion ….and …. his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord” [Psalm 112:1,5b, 7b]. John C. Maxwell wrote, “A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them and strong enough to correct them.” Also Boetcker said, “Better to be a strong man with a weak point, than to be a weak man without a strong point. A diamond with a flaw is more valuable that a brick without a flaw.” One question we must answer as we celebrate this Father’s Day is: Are you a strong man? If you’re, then you can make a strong father and a good leader – a man that will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment……(Genesis 18:19). If you’re not, then cease the opportunity of this celebration to turn to God, who alone can make you a real man and a strong man. God is looking for a real strong man. Every passing day present us with a real choice. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Ephesians 6:10). Enjoy a great Father’s Day. Reach: Evangelist Ogbonnaya, Godswill @weefreeministries.org or P.O. Box 720035, Houston, Texas, 77272. Tel: 832-881-3929