Total Disability

 Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, “LORD, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; help us, LORD our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You.” 2 Chronicles 14:11

In the physical realm, there are few situations more frightening to us than having to live totally disabled. The feelings of helplessness would be beyond our comprehension. We would be dependent upon others for almost everything. We dread even the thought of such a life, and if we're a compassionate person, we grieve for anyone who does live in this way. In fact, we're often moved to help them in any way we can. Their weakness touches our hearts. We give our strength into their helplessness. 

Scripture tells us that in our weakness, He is our strength. We know this, but if we're really honest, living in the place where we must depend upon His strength is not one we embrace. Depending upon ours is what comes most naturally, but this will inevitably lead to our discovering what 2 Chronicles 14 says; we are helpless in the battle between the powerful (the enemy and the world system he works through) and the powerless (you and I as we live in that system). We face the "multitudes" of that system each day and the results are crushing. Our might will not prevail, but if we are willing to trust in Him, we will discover that His will. But there is a key to that discovery.

I've a pastor friend that announced some time back that he had declared "total disability" in his relationship with the Father. In all things, his dependence would be upon his God. It would not be upon himself. Many of us say this, but few of us have the courage to live it out on a daily basis. We can't resist looking to our own strength, so we rarely discover the depth of His. Jesus said that He "did nothing of Himself," that He only did what He saw His Father doing. Jesus Christ lived with His eyes fixed upon His Father. He modeled this for us, but so few of us are living deeply enough in Him to do the same. We don't know what to do in so many situations, but we are not living close enough to Him to discern what He is doing in those places. We've never declared total disability, and so we go on in our strength and miss all the fullness of His.

Here's the stumbling block in our declaring total disability; we are born with a bent towards being in control. In control of our lives, our circumstances, and the actions of others in and around our lives. This bent can only be dealt with at one place; the cross of Christ. It has to die there. Only then can we declare the total disability needed in order to discover His infinite ability. Only there will we discover the trust needed to live in that place. 

At the cross, Christ faced the multitudes of both earthly and spiritual powers arrayed against Him. There was no one to help but the Father, and into His hands He placed Himself. At the cross, in His weakness and complete disability, He prevailed through the soon to be displayed resurrection power of God. Christ at His weakest, conquered the devil and his multitudes at their strongest at the cross. So too will we. It starts with declaring our total disability. Our victory is assured in that place.

Blessings,
Pastor O