Inner Strength Matters

“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:5-9

When the Spartans were faced with the greatest threat, Persia, King Leonidas had to pick his best warriors to fight. Persia was a force to be reckoned with, and not just any soldier would do! You would think he would look at the men and what they could do in battle, but he didn’t. King Leonidas picked his 300 warriors based on their wives. That’s right, the 300 men that went down in history as some of the most outstanding soldiers to ever lived were picked based on their wives. It was not about how strong the men were but how strong their wives were. His question was, “If those men never come home, could those women make it?” He knew that if they became overburdened with grief and couldn’t manage life, it would affect the whole country. It would cause a substantial moral upset and may even cause Sparta to not be able to fend off what the Persian army would bring next.

This tells us several things. One, how strong you are in your innermost being is how strong you are period. Outer strength pales in comparison to the effect that inner strength has on the success of an individual. Second, your inner strength emboldens those you love to be brave and strong as well. Finally, that strength is so infectious that it can affect an entire nation.

These factors should encourage us to be as strong as we can in our inmost being in Christ. We gain our strength, a mightier strength than these Spartan women, from God. Just like with Joshua and look at what Joshua was able to do. If we grow strong in our innermost being, look at how much good it can do in our lives and the lives of those around us. It can affect the Kingdom of God emboldening them to do more and go farther with the gospel. It can cause our brothers and sisters to be of more courage and steadfastness even in the face of all types of adversaries. It will determine our eternal success in Christ. How strong is your innermost man in Christ?

-Steve Johnson #MaysvilleMessenger