Reading 'Weakness is the Way: Life with God'

This is a short booklet by evangelical theologian J.I. Packer. Including the foreword, it’s only 100 pages. I’m not much of a reader and I read slowly. So this thin booklet is easy on the pressure. Reading is light, but the gain is rich.

Weakness, nothing could be more normal…

Counting from my baptism in 2008, I’ve been a believer for 13 years. Looking back, most of my faith journey has been filled with weakness, with moments of strength being rare.

As Packer says, “Any sane person” will always notice their own weakness and feel worthless, down, and frustrated because of it. I reckon my mind’s sane, as I often feel this way. And often in my weakness, I lament: why am I so weak?

Packer tells me the “truth.” The truth is that everyone, in many aspects, especially spiritually, is actually weak and powerless. This is because sin has led to our weakness.

What we need to do is face our weakness. Recognize the effects and consequences of sin, acknowledge our limitations, let go of ourselves, deny ourselves, and follow Jesus, seeking His help. Relying on the Lord, we can be like Paul, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

In times of weakness, if we can turn to the Lord, I believe it must be the Holy Spirit reminding, guiding, and protecting us. But it also undeniably requires our own will and volition. This willingness and resolve to turn to God need to be practiced.

Human weakness comes in many forms. Besides being spiritually weak, there are physical weaknesses, weaknesses of will, and weakness from life circumstances… We often tend to notice spiritual weakness while overlooking physical and practical life/social relationship weaknesses. These weaknesses are also worth noting.

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41, NIV)

Reconcile with God by grace, reconcile others with God.

The last time I paid attention to the word “reconcile” was in a brand introduction by a Christian friend, Dayu. Dayu and Zhao Zhao gave up urban life to live and work with their family in the countryside for family reconciliation and reconciling the family with God.

Taste it carefully, reconciliation is a gentle word, a state of beautiful relationship, a good and warm action.

Broken, isolated, indifferent relationships can be healed and restored to their original, intimate state through someone’s willing sacrifice, patience, and concession. This is reconciliation.

I believe everyone has experienced reconciliation with others in some form, actively or passively. I have too. I’ve reconciled with my wife, daughter, son, parents, friends, coworkers, and boss… Reconciliation brings joy and gladness.

But the most important reconciliation in our lives is personal reconciliation with God. Because of Jesus’ love, sacrifice, and grace, sinners like me are deemed righteous by God. Originally, the relationship and state where sinners were cut off from God—that is, spiritual death—is reconciled through Jesus. I receive a new, eternal life.

Often I know and say, “As a sinner, through Jesus, I am considered sinless by God, seen as righteous.” But Packer points out through 2 Corinthians 5:21: “Holy and pure like Jesus, because of sinners like me, was deemed sinful by God.” This was a perspective I had never valued.

In this act of “reconciliation,” I always focused on my sins being forgiven, being called righteous, and almost ignored the heavy cost and grace of Jesus the sinless Lamb being condemned. Thank God for Jesus’ salvation.

By the grace of Jesus, I have reconciled with God. The burden to reconcile others with God has been entrusted to me. It’s the right response to God’s grace.

Christian (Financial) Giving

I was curious why Packer spends a quarter of this little book ‘Weakness is the Way’ on “Christian giving and the Christian view of money.” But the topic indeed piqued my interest.

Christian hope lies in what is “unseen.” (Romans 8:24-25)

However, in the “visible” world, money reigns.

This is because our fallen nature gives money inappropriate, excessive value. Money is easily and naturally regarded as the guarantee of a stable life, dignity, and status. It seems the more wealth you have, the more secure you are, the better you can overcome life’s weaknesses.

I often feel a sense of conflict and contradiction.

When I look up, it’s the infinite sky, the universe, and the unfathomable spiritual world, and I’m moved: How great and almighty is the Creator, how small and transient are humans. Tiny humans are actually created and cared for by the Creator;

But when my perspective shifts from looking up to viewing the world on a level, this world is so real and tangible. Especially in cities, almost everything “visible” has a price. It’s undeniable that the more money you have, the more resources and opportunities you get, and the better quality life you can lead.

I’m not considered rich, but I’ve experienced transitioning from “poor and frugal” to “abundant.” From my experience, having more money might reduce some worries, but other worries, sorrows, emptiness inevitably fill in. I think my affluent friends, you surely feel this. Is there anyone who, because of wealth, truly lives carefree, with perpetual joy?

Money not only fails to bring true satisfaction to the heart, but we also, due to greed, the value we place on money, idolizing money, can never fill the chasm of desire, living in vanity, void, and sorrow. Psalm 16:4 says, “Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more,” and to this, I say: absolutely true!

While money itself is neutral, the love of money is the root of all evil. But who can, by themselves, not be greedy in front of money due to the weakness caused by sin?

Tithing (giving 10% of all income to God), in terms of action, is not a big challenge for me even at different income stages.

The real challenge is truly admitting I am not the owner of money, only a steward. All the money I “have” is God’s. Now, I still don’t have the complete, steady faith to say, “God, if you’re willing, take it all.”

Therefore, for me, tithing, as Packer says, feels like giving God a 10% tax. After paying the tax, the rest is all mine. That is my challenge.

God wants a cheerful, willing offering, giving the best and fullest, not second-best or blemished. If my heart still sees myself as the owner of money, even if I donate a significant amount, it’s still hypocritical, not something pleasing to God.

When I say I want to follow and emulate Jesus, I also need to follow Jesus’ poverty and not owning anything while walking the earth.

Do not arrange excessive, inappropriate lifestyles and enjoyment. Do not bury money in the “world’s” land, use it with faith, in places that please God, storing up treasures in heaven.

Christian giving expresses gratitude for God’s past grace and shows faith in God’s future faithfulness. (Page 65)

Packer’s chapter on Christians’ view of money and giving, though brief, I find very rich and thorough. If you’re puzzled, confused about giving, or facing challenges in giving, I recommend reading it.

The Hope of Christians

People live by hope and for the things we expect and believe will come true.

If I don’t believe the sun will rise tomorrow, that the predicament will eventually pass, that a weak body will recover…then life would be gray. I would lose the motivation to live.

Christians are hopeful people.

But what we hope for isn’t visible or temporary, but what is unseen and eternal. Packer uses “glory” to describe the wonderful, rich, delightful end that Christians hope for. In that end, believers in Jesus will be resurrected, will be in God’s glory, will enjoy eternal life.

Reading this part, I’d like to share two points about eternal hope: body and kingdom.

My body isn’t robust, though free of major illnesses, reaching middle age, besides the chronic neck and lumbar pain, other issues are gradually appearing. Teeth get cavities, eyes tire easily, hair starts thinning, the skin hardens and slackens, the body tires easily… In short, the body becomes weak, decayed.

This is an irreversible harsh reality.

But for those who believe in Jesus, the difference is, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16, NIV) It’s miraculous that through faith, though the body decays and wastes away, the inner self can be renewed day by day. Even if the body ages and decays to death, we’re on a “going home” path to our eternal homeland.

More exciting is that on that day, believers in Jesus will be resurrected, bodies will be resurrected. Then, I’ll have a perfect, healthy, ever-lasting body.

Now to the kingdom.

I’ve always wanted to leave this land because of many injustices, unrighteousness, lawlessness, and many restrictions. Before, America might have been the dreamland. But now, is there any truly ideal, absolutely just, perfect kingdom in the world? No. The world is full of sin and corruption. But in God’s eternal kingdom, there’s perfect justice, holiness, and glory.

In faith, I’m quite hard and rational. I often like to share with emotionally inclined believers: the current world is so imperfect, not just. Who sullied this world? If the world was originally so imperfect, that’s a huge failure, regret, misfortune. For a designer, that’s unacceptable! (Let alone for the greatest Creator!) A perfect world must exist!