Admiral Horatio Nelson is one of England’s greatest heroes, yet his fame was gained not only due to his strengths, but arguably even more so from his weaknesses. Having lost his mother at the age of nine, he began his military career at the age of 13 as an ordinary seaman. From his first day at sea through the rest of his life, he would suffer from constant seasickness.
His frailness also left him susceptible to other illnesses, contracting yellow fever, recurring bouts with malaria and an unidentified debilitating sickness in the West Indies. He was also wounded numerous times, including the loss of an eye at Corsica, the amputation of most of his right arm and a severe wound to the chest.
Despite all of these, as well as several military defeats, he had learned to overcome and eventually led England to one of its greatest victories in defeating the French and Spanish Navies at Trafalgar.
Yet he did have one great weakness among others. Throughout the vicissitudes of his career, he had secretly carried on an affair with another man’s wife which, when revealed, led to great scandal in both London and Naples.
Proverbs 16:32 says that “He that ruleth his spirit is better than he that taketh a city.” Just as King David fell to similar passions that led to lying, adultery and murder, we see that whatever strengths or weaknesses can lift one up in the eyes of others, it is weakness of character...sin...that can ruin him.
But when a man rife with those same inherent weaknesses in character admits as much to himself and more importantly confesses them over to God, a complete transformation takes place and beautiful testaments to God’s love and purpose in us are manifested.
Peter’s impetuosity and later cowardice at Jesus’ trial were later changed via Christ’s forgiveness to fearlessness and boldness in his witness to both the same men who were responsible for Christ’s crucifixion and subsequently to those who were sending his Christian brethren to their deaths in the coliseum.
Saul of Tarsus was a man who was personally responsible for the deaths of many Christians, including Saint Stephen. God would later use this same man, known after his conversion as Paul, to give us a large portion of the New Testament. He, who once took innocent lives in violence, would later peaceably and willingly give his own for those same people and his Savior who gave His life for ours.
Whatever strengths and weaknesses we have, the only true transformation is that of the heart that has been given over to Christ. The greatest victory in all history came through what appeared in the eyes of men to be the ultimate defeat: the humiliation and death of Christ Jesus on the Cross. Through this victory, He freely offers new life to all who believe in Him.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new,” 2 Corinthians 5:17.
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