Are Christians Weak?

Many non-believers have the unfortunate perception that those who follow Christ are weak and ignorant.  This has always bothered me.  As a fiercely independent, self-sufficient individual, I hate the notion that Christianity is simply a psychological crutch for those who need help or a security blanket for the insecure.

I’m not a follower because I need religion to survive, and I don’t consider myself to be one of the uneducated masses.  Most of the time, I think those implications are simply used by skeptics to intimidate and discredit Christians, effectively silencing their voices.

However, another thought struck me yesterday.  Which is worse:  (1) admitting that you are weak and you need help or (2) living in denial?  What if admitting that you can’t make it on your own is not a sign of weakness after all?  Think about it.  Is it easy to admit your life is not going the way you’d planned and you need help?  I think not.  It takes a strong person to make that confession and to take the steps to make a change.

Sometimes I watch a show called Intervention.  It’s a documentary that exposes the daily lives of drug addicts.  At the end of the show, the family participates in a last ditch effort to save the addict.  As you watch family members ask the addict whether they will get treatment, you can see how hard it is for the addict to make the decision.  They know they need help, but it’s too hard to change.  Living in mire and despair is easier than getting help and treatment.  It’s amazing how, in that moment when they make the decision to change, they are both weak and strong — weak in their addiction; strong in courage and hope.

Is it really any different for those who decide to become Christians?  We were lost, addicted to sin and bound by the flesh until someone came along and asked us to give it up in order to live a more fulfilling life.  It wasn’t easy to admit we needed help.  It wasn’t easy to change.  In fact, it was downright hard.  But in admitting our weakness, we found strength and courage – to live a full life, to withstand temptation, to become a better person.

So, that leads me back to my first question.  Are Christians weak?  Well, I’ll let you decide for yourself.  I think you know where I stand.  I’m not ashamed to admit that I need God.  If that makes me weak, then so be it.  At least I have the courage to get help and the fortitude to stand up for my beliefs.