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"The Fatal Flipside" By Ron Hutchcraft June 19, 2003 That horse's great strength was her instinct and ability to jump. But it also ended up killing her. Her strength, uncontrolled and untamed, became her fatal weakness. Not unlike a lot of us. So often, our greatest weakness is the flipside of our greatest strength. And untamed, uncontrolled, it will eventually bring us---and others---great injury and great pain. Think about Samson, for example. He was Israel's conqueror, conquering every Philistine in sight. But he ended up conquering every woman he was attracted to, as well---until one named Delilah conquered him and brought him to destruction. It's really important that we look with brutal honesty at the downside of our strengths and confront the weaknesses that go with them before they do any more damage. Hebrews 12:1-2, our word for today from the Word of God, says, "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus..." Identify what trips you up and slows you down, and "throw it off." And don't be surprised if it's the other side of a strength you have. You may be a strong, goal-oriented person with a lot of drive---who, on the other hand, may drive right over people or cut corners with what's right to get to your goal. Maybe God has given you the ability to communicate well---you're a good talker. But sometimes those people can use that ability to deceive or to manipulate. Then there's the person who's very determined and hard to derail---who may, on the other side, be stubborn and even disobedient when God's way differs from their way. You may be known to those around you as a gentle, loving, encouraging person. And that's good. But because you don't want to hurt anyone and you like being liked, you won't confront people, you won't confront situations that need confronting---thus, setting the stage for terrible explosions. Then there's the person who prides himself on always being honest about how they feel---not realizing or not caring how much their "honesty" is hurting and crushing people. You can be a logical person who boxes out God's miracles - a disciplined person who is also rigid and inflexible, or a spontaneous person who is lazy and undisciplined as well. Thank God for the strengths that He has given you. And turn to God to help you see, and repent of, and conquer the fatal flipside of your strengths. Often, those weaknesses are the last ones for us to see and to repent of. They are strongholds to the Lordship of Christ in our life. This Biblical prayer, prayed often and with an open heart, can save you so much grief: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way." (Psalm 139:13-14, NASB)
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"A Word With You" by Ron Hutchcraft is a daily radio challenge, with slice-of-life illustrations and insights - providing practical help on the issues that matter most. If your local Christian radio station does not air "A Word With You," please let them know how much you value this program. Over six years of transcripts are available online, at http://www.gospelcom.net/rhm/awwy/ Ron Hutchcraft Ministries is a member of the Gospel Communications Network - "A Word With You" is a production of:
Copyright (c) 2003, Ron Hutchcraft. Permission to distribute this material via email, or individual copies, is automatically granted on the condition it will be used for non-commercial purposes, and will not be sold. To reproduce "A Word With You" transcripts in any other format, including Internet websites, written permission is needed from Ron Hutchcraft. Copyright (c) 2003, Ron Hutchcraft. Reprinted with permission. "A Word With You" is a radio outreach of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
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