Survival of the Weakest
Over one hundred and fifty years ago, Darwin coined the expression: “the survival of the fittest”. This was the basis of his theory of evolution in which the strong, through a process of natural selection, would always prevail. In recent years, scientists have proved this theory fallible. Studies have shown that the weak are always among us and, in fact, in many cases, live longer and have more offspring, thus reproducing weak genes. Sorry Darwin, your theory works, except when it doesn’t.
The world treats weakness and failure as terminal. God sees weakness as advantageous. He said that when we are weak, then we are strong. (II Cor. 12.10) Hitler, in trying to create a super race, killed the weak, deformed and mentally retarded. Today, through abortion, infanticide and euthanasia, modern society is trying to do the same. The undesired, the unproductive and the weak have no place in this “new age” and are discarded on the rubbish pile of what is called progress. Ezekiel says that the Jews have been such a people. He says: “No one pitied you…you were cast out on an open field, for you were abhorred, on the day you were born.” (Ez. 16.5) Then the Lord passes by and sees this discarded baby, still in his blood and says: “Live”. (v.6)
God offers grace to the weak. Grace is His power working on our behalf. It is unmerited and free. To receive this grace, we must humble ourselves and recognize our need of God. The strong see weakness as a handicap, but God sees their talents and abilities as handicaps. The strong think they have no need of God and are thus consumed with pride. The weak, however, are very conscience of their dependence on God and are continually leaning of His strength. God chooses the weak to shame the wise and He takes the despised and foolish to bring to nothing the pride of man. Paul boasted in his weakness, not his strengths. All his achievements and all that he had gained, he counted as rubbish. Paul knew that by becoming weaker in himself, he grew stronger in Christ.
Paul’s spiritual growth paralleled his increasing sense of weakness and sinfulness. Before his conversion, Paul was a Pharisee and strictly followed the law. He was trained in the best rabbinical schools and zealous in his practice of Judaism. Fourteen years after his conversion, he still showed signs of his former religious arrogance. To the Galatian churches he wrote of how he confronted Cephas to his face and how those who thought they were something had added nothing to him. (Gal. 2.6, 11) His attitude seemed quite headstrong and proud. Six years later, Paul writes to the Corinthians and says: “I am the least of the apostles”. (I Cor. 15.9) Five years after this, he writes to the Ephesians: “I am the least of all God’s people”. (Eph. 3.8) And, two years before his death, Paul writes to Timothy, saying: “I am the worst of all sinners”. (I Tim. 1.15). Instead of growing up, he grew down.
God chose us when we were nothing; when we were yet sinners. He took our brokenness and nothingness and grafted us into the vine. His life flowed through us and produced fruit of righteousness and love. It is because we are in Him that we are what we are. We must not boast in the fruit on the branches, but in the life of the vine. Without Him we are nothing and can do nothing, but through Christ we can do all things. Let the weak say: I am strong.
Scriptures to meditate on:
I Cor. 1.20-31; II Cor. 12.9-10; Phil. 2.6-11; 3.8; 4.13