Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

The Paradox of Leading from Weakness

Episode Summary

Your calling as a leader is shaped by your weaknesses. Whatever seems to be your weakness, exchange it today for the power of God.

Episode Transcription

Hi, I’m Joni, and I still can’t believe I get to lead Joni and Friends.

I mean, what a privilege. And for the last 45 years that I have led the ministry, we’ve served 14 million people with disabilities worldwide. That’s amazing, considering I do not fit the expected profile for a Chief Executive Officer. I’m a quadriplegic, I can’t ‘feed’ myself, I only have a high school education. If I were God, I’d be worried. But when it comes to the business of the kingdom, God delights in using people who confess their weaknesses. Now, the world likes to leverage power and minimize weakness. But God, he loves to leverage weakness and minimize power to get his work done. That is not the way of the kingdoms of this world. But it is the way of the upside-down kingdom of the cross; weakness is God’s way of working. Just flip through the Old Testament or consider examples in the New Testament.

My friend, Dr. Dan Allender says that “The leaders in the Bible that God chose are more broken than strong... more damaged than whole... more troubled than secure.” Just consider Gideon in the book of Judges. I mean, this guy was a coward; hiding in a wine press, scared of the encroaching enemy, yet God picked him to go into battle against the ruthless Midianite Army with 135,000 trained soldiers. And God told Gideon to whittle his army down to a mere 300. The world would say that’s not a good military tactic. But God doesn’t do things as the world does them. So, when Gideon struck down the Midianites with a handful of soldiers, the whole known world knew that God had done it, and not man; God got the glory and not humans. It’s how he displays his greatness. Now, when I was thinking of starting Joni and Friends, I was only 29 years old. I felt a little like Gideon. I was a bit of a coward because I knew nothing about leading a movement to reach the world’s 1.3 billion people with disabilities. But the Lord gave me these words: “Joni, my grace is sufficient for you. My power will be perfect through your weakness.” And so, I exchanged my weakness for God’s strength.

So, when I took that reckless dive into the water, I believe God was thinking of those 1.3 billion people, most of whom do not know his Son. He was thinking of how 80% of them live in poverty and are [for the most part], looked upon as cursed. When I broke my neck, yes, God’s heart broke for me, but it also broke for untold numbers of people just like me. It’s why Philippians 1:12 – it’s my verse because it says, “I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.” That’s right. What happened to me that day on the beach has actually served to advance the Gospel. I was about to drown in that water. But God rescued me so he could rescue others drowning without hope. 

Our calling as Christian leaders is shaped by our weaknesses. My calling in leadership is shaped by my quadriplegia. So, whatever seems to be your weakness, exchange it today for the power of God. Let God give you his strength to help rescue the people you know who are drowning without hope. We have gospel truth, friend. And I am promising that I will lift up my weakness in exchange for Christ’s strength and I invite you to do the same. Friend, if you’re in need of an encouraging word today in the midst of your hardship, I do hope you have found these words helpful. And so, share them with a friend, would you? You can always share this program at joniradio.org.

 

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