“You’ve mentioned before,” I said, “that you spend a lot of your time with others, in addition to me, seeking to help with their spiritual growth.”
“That’s right,” Stan replied.
“Why do you do that?” I asked.
“I believe it is what God has for me to do while He leaves me on this side of eternity.”
“I don’t want to rile you as I did when I called you a ‘mature Christian’,” I said with a smile [Note to Reader: See Posting Number 6, “The Wrong Thing to Say”]. However, I do wonder if you do it because you feel you are strong in your faith. Is that the case?”
“I think a better way to look at it,” Stan replied, “is that I am not strong, but I am less weak.”
“And,” he continued, “I believe God wants to use my ‘less weakness’ to help those who may be even more weak.”
“The apostle Paul, in his second letter to the church in Corinth,” Stan said, “addressed this very issue of how he was concerned for those who were weak in their faith.”
“For me,” Stan continued, “an essential part of this is not waiting until I think I am strong enough or mature enough in my faith to help someone else. God, through His Holy Spirit, will make it clear who He is bringing before me for His purposes, and what He wants me to do.”
“Paul had concern about the faith that others have or don’t have,” he added, “and so do I. My prayer is that you, my friend, will have the same concern and will use whatever ‘less weakness’ you have to help whoever God may bring across your path.”
“That is my prayer as well, ” I responded, “and with God’s help it will happen.”
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Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? 2 Corinthians 11:29.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for wanting to strengthen me in my faith. And thank you that you do that strengthening so that I may be able to help those you bring to me also grow stronger in their faith. I confess that too often I have failed to help others grow in their faith as you intend. Please forgive me. And please lead me, and help me to follow, exactly in accord with your will so that I seek to help others just as you want. Help me to know that whatever you do in me is not just for me, but it is so I will seek to help strengthen your church. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Waiting for the Train 