strengthification
Fingernails are dirt magnets.
It doesn't seem to matter how often I clean them or trim them, minutes later I could do it all over again. I keep diggin' the dirt out, and it keeps fillin' back up. That mental image? That's yours for free ... I'm not even going to charge you for that.
So the way analogies work, this is the point where I compare cleaning your fingernails to your daily life, your efforts to improve yourself, your relationships, etc. You ready for that? I know you are! Because you are a person who admires honesty, character, and the earnest pursuit of change for the better. I've always liked that about you.
It's true. Just like our fingernails, our lives are constantly in jeopardy of filling back up with the junk and garbage and dirt we just spent a large amount of time and resources removing. We struggle for months to quit smoking, and on one stressful day we pick up a pack and start again. We stick to our diet for weeks before that plate of cupcakes appears and we find ourselves covered in icing. We commit to spending an hour every day doing a Bible study, praying and meditating on God's Word, but THIS morning there's a lot of chatter on Facebook or "I'm THIS close to finishing this book!" and we set aside the thing that we know, deep down, will benefit us more, help us grow into the better person we mean to be.
We're all a bunch of failures.
Hey, it's a harsh truth, but it's still a truth. We, in and of ourselves, are powerless to resist the things that bring us down. We need to rely on something bigger than ourselves to give us strength. Community leaders may lean on the spirit of the community. Political leaders may rely on the unity of their staff. Alcoholics Anonymous refers to it as "a higher power." Christians turn to God.
I almost typed "it doesn't matter what you choose," but I don't believe that's true. I believe that the ultimate strength comes from God. But I do recognize that there are other sources of strength. They may not be unlimited sources of power, and eventually they (like your willpower) will run up short. But they're a bigger reserve of strength and power than relying on yourself. They're necessary. They're VITAL.
We who want to better ourselves, we spend a lot of time digging the dirt out of our fingernails. We have tools and tricks that keep us as perfectly manicured as we can manage. We're always on the hunt for new ways to improve what we're doing. And that? That's all good. That's perfect, actually. Exactly as it should be.
But don't forget the more important resource: Look for the power that is greater than yourself. I recommend God, because I've always been a "go straight for the top" kinda guy. But whatever source you choose, whatever works best for you at this moment in time, just make sure it has as much respect for you as you have for it.
It does you no good to rely on your community if your community doesn't know who you are.
You can't rely on your political staff if they all have separate, personal, self-directed agendas, working at cross purposes to each other and to you.
You can't rely on your co-workers or your teammates for strength if they all think of you as being a self-centered problem, always talking about and thinking about your own issues and never being a part of the group.
We humans don't have enough personal strength or willpower to hold out for long. We need refuge from storms, and beds to rest our weary heads. Look for those in your life. Nurture them. Rely on them, more than on yourself, and you'll always have more strength than you can use.
And one last thing, because I truly think this is the most important strength you can access ... regardless of your beliefs or your past experiences or the opinions of your friends and family, this Wordslinger highly recommends turning yourself over to God. Surrendering to Christ, accepting His strength, that's the surest way to become unbeatable, indestructible, undeniably strong.
If that makes sense to you, but you don't know how to do it, or you could use a little guidance, you can contact me and I'll help. We'll talk, and I'll tell you all I know about it. And maybe you can share some things with me that will teach me a thing or to as well! We'll be a strength for each other in pursuing the greatest success of all time. I could definitely use a strength like that. How about you?
