Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive...might!
Jesus is worthy of all “might.”
What does this mean? Most of the time this word is used in the New Testament it is referring to God’s might (Eph 1:19, 6:20; 2 Thess 1:9). But in two key passages it refers to our “might.”
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace…whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. (1Peter 4:10-11)
You can see that in both places our word “might” is translated as “strength.” This is, simply, a person’s ability to do stuff. It’s a prerequisite for service. And this is specifically physical strength—lifting, stirring, applying, concentrating, holding, pushing, patting, etc. What we are able to do; what we "can do."
Jesus is worthy to receive our might. Let’s put our bodies to Jesus’ use.
First, take stock. You have ability; you have strength. All of us do. Unless you’re in a vegetative coma, you have this strength and Jesus deserves it. You might not have as much strength as you wish you had, as much as you used to have, but you have some. You might not be able to help move a Grand Piano for Jesus, but you could stir a pot of hot cocoa, flip a pancake, type an encouraging email, take notes at a meeting, concentrate on praying through the Church directory, etc.
And hey, the guys flinging that piano around probably aren’t as good at slinging flapjacks. Peter says that we’ve each received a gift, that God gives “varied grace.” That’s different strengths for differing servants at different stages in different seasons in different situations. Our strengths flow into our skills, experiences, and the needs of the service opportunity before us.
So don’t think that because you’re not a college kid anymore that you have no strength to give to Jesus. You have more precise strength, perhaps. So let’s honor our strength. What can you do? If nothing comes to mind, ask someone you know who seems like they could use a hand: I bet they’ll think of something that Jesus wants you to do for Him!
Second, get stronger. See, there’s the strength we have and there’s the strength we could have if we got over our pity-parties and our self-indulgence. Jesus deserves the strength we have, but He also deserves the strength we could have. Take care of yourself, friend. Get healthy, get stronger. In a sedentary society, where we go from butt-sitting work to butt-sitting travel to butt-sitting leisure, all punctuated with butt-sitting meetings and meals, it’s an act of faith and love and worship to get off of our backsides and move about.
A word of warning: we are also a society that, because of its butt-sitting ways, has fallen off the horse the other direction in a big way. We have an obsessive fixation on health and fitness. This is a complicated topic; I don’t hope to do it justice here. I only mean to say this: first, we can all get stronger in our bodies; and second, let’s not follow the world in getting weird about it.
Because the main point—let’s keep the main point the main point—is this: Third, serve. See, when we give our physical strength to Jesus, Jesus gives it to our neighbor. Jesus says, “Great! You want to work for me? Fantastic. I’ve been looking for someone to help me because your church needs deacons… And I’ve been looking for someone to help your shut-in neighbor with her raking… And I’ve been looking for someone to help your spouse with fixing that leaky faucet… And I’ve been looking for someone to help teach… help organize… help move… help bake… help communicate… help clean… help… help… help… help…”
Jesus says to love the LORD our God with all our strength…and our neighbor as we love ourselves. When we give all our strength to His use, He puts us to working for the people around us who need to meet Him.
It’s a question of willingness. Jesus is not looking to put up a poster of us flexing our muscles for Him: “YOU deserve my well-oiled strength, Jesus!” He is looking for weak people willing to take their widow’s mites of strength and put it in His hands, for His service. Scripture is clear; that’s all that’s required. Jesus gives strength to the willing; He doesn’t have use for the seemingly strong, who aren’t willing. (see: Samson)
Conclusion:
Jesus loved God with all His strength. He literally laid His body down; He literally gave His all to God, for us. He is the Lamb who was slain. Because of this, He deserves strength. He has given us all strength. He has given us all the ability to get stronger. And all this He gives us so that we might take it and put it at His feet, serving Him, spreading His glory, by “serving in the strength that God supplies… in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”
