Do you remember the story of the man with the withered hand? The Bible says Jesus went into the synagogue and noticed the man. He had a weakness–his hand was deformed. We’re not told if it was like that from birth or possibly from an accident. But Jesus said to him, “[Stretch] Hold out your hand” (Mark 3:5).
And when the man did what Jesus asked, his hand was completely restored!
Amazing! NOW HOW DOES THIS STORY HELP US?
Jesus asked this man to do something very terrifying to most people. When Jesus asked him to stretch out his hand, we immediately picture the results of his miracle because we are on this side of the story. But pause for a moment and put yourself in the man’s shoes.
In front of a large crowd, with everybody looking directly at him, Jesus said: “Reveal your weakness.”
You know what a weakness is, but just to be clear, let’s define it. Weakness is anything that lacks strength or is feeble. It describes an inadequate or defective quality, a fault or a defect. Other words that describe weakness include: blemish, flaw, imperfection, infirmity, lack, and shortcoming.
We all have them.
And we all try to hide them.
None of us want to reveal our weaknesses.
And the devil is the master of making us feel inferior to others by focusing on our flaws. But Jesus obviously had a different agenda than our enemy.
Let’s consider the word reveal. It means to make known, divulge, or to lay open to view. We could also say: bring to the light, confess, declare, or divulge. The opposite would be to conceal or hide.
Which word best describes you: Reveal? or Conceal?
Jesus didn’t ask the man to reveal his weakness so others could laugh or make fun of him. No. Jesus asked the man to be honest with himself and God so he could be healed. If the man was willing to let God (and the world) see his struggle, God could do a miracle for him.
But if it remained hidden, it would remain the man’s weakness (and the devil’s target).
Two things to remember about your weaknesses:
1. They can be a testimony to help others.
My sister once said to me, “Daphne, if you wouldn’t tell your story, no one would ever know the mistakes you’ve made.” This was many years ago, and I don’t think she still sees things that way, but at the time, she was simply trying to protect me from embarrassment.
But Mirror Ministries wouldn’t exist to help others if I had kept my weaknesses to myself.
2. Fear is never from God.
The number one reason we hide our weaknesses is because of our fear of man. Consider Queen Esther. She was afraid of revealing her true identity to the king for fear of rejection and retaliation. But salvation came to her people when she decided to go against her fear and reveal who she really was.
If we’re afraid, it’s a sure-fire sign the devil has us where he wants us. And I refuse to willingly give him that kind of power over me (and so should you).
I vividly remember the first conference I spoke at where I shared greater detail about the shame I had carried into my walk with God– specifically the causes of my shame. I had been speaking for some time by then and had even published two books. I’ll never forget the looks on the faces of some of the women on the front row who had followed my ministry. One looked at the other, and I could read her lips: “Did you know that?!”
I could’ve let it intimidate me, but I knew they were simply surprised. Afterwards, I received so many letters and notes from ladies who were set free from their own condemnation simply because I was willing to reveal my weaknesses.
So be encouraged today: You have nothing to fear. Someone will be helped by your honesty. And God will be able to give you the miracle your heart desires simply by refusing to conceal your area of weakness.
Let this confession from Psalm 118:6 be your strength today: “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
