You’re stronger than you think you are – you can overcome anything you set your mind to. Believe in yourself and follow your heart.
At some point, someone has encouraged us with some of those sentiments above. We’ve probably even said a few of those things to someone else going through a tough spot in life.
But….
Nowhere in the Gospels is it recorded that Jesus ever uttered those words above. In fact – Jesus went out of His way to tell His disciples just the opposite.
So why is it that when we (Christ followers) see someone going through a tough spell in life – we instinctively reach for those common cliches in our worldly attempts to comfort them? What if the reason a person happens to be in the pinch they’re in is precisely because they decided to follow their own heart?
Jesus never told people to believe in themselves, He told people to deny themselves. Nor did He ever encourage them to follow their hearts. He called them to follow Him. He certainly never promised them their best life now. He warned them that following Him would involve hardship, sacrifice, and sometimes rejection. The truth is, the message of Christ is the antithesis of self-confidence. His message was surrender.
That’s not exactly the kind of message that packs the pews on Sunday morning, is it. And yet, that’s the most hopeful message the world has ever heard.
Because Jesus didn’t come to tell us that we already have everything we need inside of us. He came because we don’t, because our hearts tend to wander, because our strength runs out… He came because left to ourselves, we eventually make a mess of things. Most of us with enough life behind us know this to be true!
But here’s some really good news.
Jesus didn’t just point out our weakness – He stepped into it. He carried our sin, our failures, and our wandering hearts all the way to the cross. And through His resurrection, He made a way for people like me and you to be forgiven, restored, and given a completely new life.
Now that is the real hope we have to offer people. Not that they’re strong enough, or that they just need to believe in themselves… but that there is a Savior who is strong enough to carry them through this life and beyond.
When someone around us is hurting or struggling, those moments are often quiet opportunities God places in front of us. Not to preach at them or pretend like we have everything figured out – but simply to speak honestly about who Christ is and what He’s done in our own lives.
We can say, in effect, “I know what it’s like to feel lost, weak, or overwhelmed. But I’ve found that my hope isn’t in myself anymore. My hope is in Jesus.”
Sometimes that simple, sincere testimony will open a door that a hundred empty motivational cliches could never open.
The world has enough voices telling people to look inward for answers. Our mission as Christ followers is to point them somewhere else entirely:
Upward.
Former Blackout Artist 