Women in Christ: Volume 22 Issue 01

If you have been a follower of Women in Christ (www.womeninchrist.org), you may have noticed that new issues have not been published for quite some time. This is due to the health challenges faced by Scarlett Stough, the main author, and her husband, Bill. As we age, things often don't improve, and this has been true for the Stoughs. Bill has always been a writer and has contributed to various publications in the past, including Women in Christ. Below, you will see what may be his last article. The article was recently written in a church bulletin. I look forward to the Resurrection and God's Kingdom when I will see the vigorous Bill I knew in his younger days.

What Did Paul Mean by “When I Am Weak, Then I Am Strong”

by Bill Stough

The last article I wrote for this publication was about the marathon, how I ran it and compared it to Christianity.

Now I am in a nursing home, trying to deal with the very issues of life itself. I probably will not get better. This is probably the last article I will write for any publication. I have written for several on a regular basis.

I can't stand up, sit down on my own, or get into bed on my own. I can still feed myself, but my hands are so shaky from Parkinson's disease that it's hard to eat. These are the very issues of life itself. All the things I used to enjoy are gone from me. I don't have anything to look forward to in this life.

I know the Bible says death is an enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26). It's the last thing that God will abolish, but I have trouble looking at death as an evil thing. It will bring relief, if I don't die painfully. But, please don't think I am suicidal. I am not. Suicide is self-murder and something a Christian cannot consider doing. It is wrong.

My wife Scarlett sits beside me as I dictate this to Cynthia. Scarlett is by far and wide the greatest blessing in my life, besides God, and I love her very, very much. I'm so glad we're still together after 58 years.

If you are fortunate to be married to a wonderful woman, never take her for granted.

For several weeks now, a scripture has been stuck in my mind.

“For Messiah's sake, then, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10 TLV emphasis added)

So what did Paul mean when he said “when I am weak, then I am strong?”

There are things about me I thought were strong but turned out not to be. For example, I viewed older people in a nursing home as obnoxious and I couldn't stand to be around them. When I was released from the hospital and brought to the nursing home, I suddenly felt in me something I hadn't felt before. Then this verse came to my mind:

“When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36 TLV)

Ever since then when I look at people here at the nursing home, I see them as “sheep without a shepherd” and I feel compassion for them. Some days I feel angry at their shepherds.

Since this occurred, I still feel compassion towards them. This is something God gave me to see, and my attitude towards people is different from what it was.

There are other situations where I don't feel the same way I used to. When God comes into your life, everything can change if you let Him.

So, bye for now, and I hope, but don't know, if you'll ever hear from me again. Thank you for giving me something positive to impart to you rather than leaving it to others. God be with you.

The fear of God, like so many subjects in the Bible, is multi-faceted. God tells us Do Not Be Afraid. Yet God also tells us to Learn to Fear God. This month we will explore what the fear of God is, and what it should mean to us.