Keeping My Strengths in Perspective

In 1 Corinthians 10:12 I read, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.” (NLT)

Failure is part of life. No matter who I think I am or what my story is, I’m going to experience failure at some point. It’s part of living as an imperfect person in an imperfect world.

The night that Jesus was arrested, before he went to the cross, Jesus’ friend Peter failed him in a significant way. Peter denied Jesus—not just once but three times.

During the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples he was going to be arrested, die, and three days later come back to life. Jesus said to the disciples, “Tonight all of you will desert me” (Matthew 26:31 NLT). Yet Peter kept insisting he would never deny Jesus. In fact, Peter said it three times!

Peter overestimated his strength—and it eventually led to his failure.

Overestimating your strength is still a common cause of failure today. I tend to think I’m stronger than I am; I believe I can handle temptation.

When people overestimate their strengths, there are dire consequences: Businesses fail, battles are lost, and spouses are tempted into affairs.

I might think, “That could never happen to me.” But 1 Corinthians 10:12 says, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall” (NLT). 

No one is exempt. Given the right situation, I am capable of any sin.

When I don’t pay attention to my strengths, they become weaknesses. In other words, an unguarded strength becomes a double weakness because I have a sense of pride about it.

Peter’s biggest failure, denying Christ, happened right after the Last Supper, a very intimate and powerful experience. The very area where I may have just had a major victory may be exactly where I stumble next.

Resist the temptation to overestimate my strengths. Instead, keep my strengths in perspective so they don’t become my source of failure.

In summary, failure is part of life. No matter who I think I am or what my story is, I’m going to experience failure at some point. It’s just part of living as an imperfect person in an imperfect world. I tend to think I’m stronger than I am; For instance, I believe I can handle temptation. When people overestimate their strengths, there are dire consequences. I might think, “That could never happen to me.” But God’s word reminds me, “If I think I am standing strong, be careful not to fall”.  No one is exempt. Given the right situation, I am capable of any sin. When I don’t pay attention to my strengths, they become weaknesses. In other words, an unguarded strength becomes a double weakness because I have a sense of pride about it. The very area where I may have just had a major victory may be exactly where I stumble next. So I need to resist the temptation to overestimate my strengths. Instead, keep my strengths in perspective so they don’t become my source of failure.

Examples of the Isarelites in the Bible serve as warning markers. They were written down so that I don’t repeat their mistakes. My positions in the story are parallel—they at the beginning, we at the end—and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don’t be so naive and self-confident. I’m not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence.