Achilles’ Heel
Do you have a glaring weakness, an Achilles’ heel?
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada. I’m sure you’ve heard that expression many times. Everyone has an Achilles’ heel, right? A little background here is in order. Achilles was a ferocious Greek warrior who fought in the Trojan War. Although in battle he killed the hero of Troy, he himself was slain as he tried to scale the walls of the city. Despite his apparent invincibility, Achilles was shot in the heel with a poisoned arrow. And so this great warrior, who everybody thought would never fall in battle, died a painful death. Not from a wound to his heart or to his head, but—of all places—to his heel.
Today, when we describe someone’s “Achilles’ heel,” it means a particular weakness in that person; a weakness that can lead to their downfall. But as Jonathan Parnell says, “That idea comes from Greek mythology, not from the Christian faith. Believers in Jesus don’t have an Achilles’ heel because we are an Achilles’ heel.” I love that. He’s right too because everything about us is weak. And if we do happen to think we are strong or smart or extraordinarily gifted—watch out—pride will bring us down. Normally, when a person’s weakness is taken advantage of it can mean defeat and disgrace. But when a Christian embraces his weakness, God exploits it for our triumph and His glory. It happens all the time in the lives of followers of Jesus.
It’s why, for the sake of Christ, I embrace my quadriplegia. The devil could take advantage of my weakness; he could try to aim his arrow at my Achilles’ heel—that is, my broken neck. Under his influence, I could become an embittered person full of resentment, fuming that God chose such a difficult, painful path for me, one of his children. And I tell you what, if I listened to those lies of the adversary, it would mean defeat for me and disgrace for God. I could disgrace God? Sure I could. After all, if I name Christ as my Savior and yet grumble against His will, that brings disgrace against God’s good name.
But I’m not about to let the devil’s poisonous arrows rule my day. So I’m going to welcome, for the sake of Christ and His honor, I’m going to embrace my Achilles’ heel. Actually, I just don’t have an Achilles’ heel, I am one. I don’t merely have a glaring weakness; everything about me is one big weakness. People often say that I’m strong, but I know better. I know Psalm 70, verse 5, where it says, “But me, I am poor and needy.” So, the secret to whatever strength I have is the speed with which I will quickly admit how needy, frail, helpless, and feeble I am. I know how easy it would be for me to grumble and be resentful. But I dare not do those things because I do not want to bring dishonor to the name of Christ. And I don’t think you do, either.
Friend, a flood of life-giving grace will always seek the lowest level of your weakness, filling you from the bottom, up. In Jesus, you can live happily, not in spite of your limitations, but because of them. Your strength can and should be your ability to acknowledge to yourself and before God, as well as others, how weak and how very needy you are. Can you do that? I believe you can. Hey, if you are blessed by these insights, then please follow me on Facebook for more or visit our radio page at joniandfriends.org/radio. Or share today’s program with your Facebook friends. Spread the encouragement around because we all have an Achilles’ heel.
© Joni and Friends
