Original: August 2, 2007
Cancun, Mexico
1 Some time later Joseph was told, "Your father is ill." So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. 2 When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come to you," Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed. Genesis 48:1-7
As a weightlifter, ex-athlete, and present day weekend warrior the concept of strength intrigues me. As a man I notice the strong before I notice the weak. The strong lead the weak. In the jungle of life it is the mentally tough, emotionally stable, and physically strong that lead those who are less fortunate to possess the same stewardship. I sneer every time I hear Christ followers talk about the weak leading the strong. Maybe they have confused meekness with weakness. Meekness, however is confident humility and has more to do with strength that weakness so I cannot see how these can ever be confused.
I am a big and strong man but pretty harmless from a physical standpoint. I like to say I am a lover (of God and people) not a fighter but you cannot believe the respect given to me by MEN when I walk into a room or our local fitness center. The humorous thing in all of this is the respect given to me is only by virtue of my size and strength not my courage or integrity.
Men are respecters of visual strength but it invisible strength that really matters to God.
Where does strength come from? Better yet, why are some so much stronger than others?
Do you ever wonder why some are strong and others weak? Why one shudders under pressure while another is motivated by it and seems to thrive under it? Why one man seems to actually enjoy a sports injury as a bragging right and some are completely debilitated. Why some men use their problems as an opportunity while others use them as excuse? Where does strength come from? How do we maximize it? Why do some have more than others?
I recently lifted weights with a buddy of mine. My buddy is not a regular weightlifting partner but while we were in Mexico he wanted me to show him my workout. After the workout he commented saying, “When I am tired I stop but you keep trying to get one more rep.” I thought about that for a moment processing his comment. Through years of weightlifting I have learned that the extra effort given through a forced repetition, or final grunt of air will offer a better result. This kind of intensity is the extra mile effort Jesus taught us in Matthew 5:41. It is in the extra mile where a man learns how to live a better live. It is out of resistance that a man possesses true faith. It is on the high road that a man strengthens his character.
It is the moment of truth.
It is the time to suck it up.
It is what separates the competitive winners from chronic whiners.
If you hang out with my family for any period of time you may hear the phrase “suck it up”, which we use to mean “deal with it, get over it, be a man (or a woman in Shanna’s case). People who enjoy rodeo are familiar with the phrase “cowboy up” similar to the blue collar cliché, “Get ‘er Done.”
The “suck it up” we are talking about is the strengthening of one’s self, even after fatigue, in order to overcome attrition. Attrition, or the inability to strengthen one’s self, is what separates winners from losers, those who succeed from those who fail, faith heroes from faith zeros.
Did you catch that last part?
Israel (or Jacob) was special to God not only because he had a win or die spirit but because he finished his life the same way he began it. From fighting Esau in his mother’s womb, fighting over the birthright, wrestling with God, and lastly to strengthening himself to bless Joseph, Israel was a fighter. Israel had that special element needed to wrestle with God and overcome attrition such as strength, resolve, moxy, raw guts and other unmentionables. Call it what you want, Jacob had it.
Do you?
The harsh Colorado winter of 2007 wiped out much of the Central Colorado’s mule deer herd. Make no mistake about it though; the ones that did survive will be trophies of a lifetime. What kind of man are you? Do you quit or cower under stress or do you cowboy up, get ‘er done, and suck it up and in order to defeat attrition?
Will it ever be said of you that you “rallied (your) strength (2)” or will you die with way too much potential?
