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Practical Strength

Proverbs 24: 16 

“For the righteous man falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of disaster and collapse” 

When we think of strength the first thing that comes to mind is probably muscles: you go to the gym, you lift some weights, you’re in pain, but once you recover your muscles grow stronger. I don’t think there’s a major distinction between physical strength and spiritual strength. Thinking about strength practically, I’m not associating the strength that is found in the gym but found in the lives we live day to day. The same way lifting weights cause initial pain, I think at times the heavy load of life can too, but with every setback allows an opportunity to grow stronger.  

I think this world has perverted what true strength actually is. We associate strength with the mindset of “I can do it myself” or “I don’t need anyone”: pairing strength with self-sufficiency. In the same light, we associate weakness with the need of help, or the lack of independency. However, God sees things quite different. True strength is found in the acknowledgement of weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9) 

Looking at the verse, we are shown the consistency of rising again once you have fallen. In our lives this may look like an exam we failed, a sickness we’re going through, or even a heartbreak, but rising again doesn’t mean picking yourself up, it’s rather trusting in the only one that can: God. The continuation of submission and trust to the sovereign God allows us to be strong. In the verse it communicates falling “seven times”, and though it may be looked at metaphorically, I think there could also be another meaning behind it.  

Biblically, the number seven is the number of completion: God rested on the seventh day once He completed creating the earth. To “fall” can be quite circumstantial and flexible, and also a sign that we need help in our points of weakness: the fact that falling takes place “seven times” means there’s a requirement for it to be completed: a void of weakness that can only be filled through God’s strength.  

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