"Every Leaning Side" 

by Aubrey Belue

I have shared the prayer thoughts of my good brother Jones before (He is the one who prays to God as one that “can do anything but fail”). Another expression unique with him comes up when he is praying to God for strength. The actual words vary from prayer to prayer, but the general thought is that God would “strengthen us where we are weak, and build us up on every leaning side”. To me, this calls to mind God’s picture of life as a “house” (Matt 7:24-28), being built every day, with a roof, and “sides” to which attention must be paid. Left to ourselves, the edifice is bound to be unstable, and each part of the house is subject to structural weakness. Metaphorically, every side of my life is only as strong as I allow God to have an input. The expression from bro. Jones carries both an element of trust and a submissive will. God is asked to “inspect” our lives for defective work (we will thus be unerringly seen as to our real needs), and finding such, He can be counted on for the proper input which will make us strong. The expression ASSUMES human weakness, needing only for specific flaws to be uncovered, and Divine help, with which these weaknesses will be strengthened. It needs to be said – such strengthening is accomplished through the “word of His power”, the materials for proper building are incorporated into it. Indeed, we are “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Eph 2:10) It is He who “worketh in us both to will of do of His good pleasure” (Phil 2:13). We “lean”, He makes strong!

 

Other Articles by Aubrey Belue
Two Visions of the Church
The Exculpatory Rule
It's Not How You Feel
Concerning the Clarification and Other Matters