Tactics

'ach joH'a' chose the foolish Dochmey vo' the qo' vetlh ghaH might lan Daq tuH chaH 'Iv 'oH val. joH'a' chose the weak Dochmey vo' the qo', vetlh ghaH might lan Daq tuH the Dochmey vetlh 'oH HoS;

but God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong 1 Corinthians 1:27

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What does it take to succeed?

In battle, and in life, we expect that you would prosper if you have strength and intelligence on your side. A Klingon would say you need to be val (intelligent) and HoS (strong). It's probably what most humans would say as well. Without some measure of ability, and the brains to use it... how CAN you succeed?

And yet - we may be confounded to come across passages like this one from the apostle Paul. Words that suggest that victory depends not on our mustering superior resources.

This should not surprise us. God seems to favor a different tactic - one perhaps that reminds us of our dependance on HIS favor. Remember back to the era of the Judges, how God told Gideon to choose his army in such a way as to make his army far smaller than he had wanted to take into battle. And yet, he won.

Think of David - a youth - defeating a giant though he was a shepherd boy with no more than a sling and some stones. Hardly a reasonable force, nor what would look like a wise strategy. And, yet he won.

God's grace is able to use us - foolish as we might be, weak as we are. This is not to say we should not strive to be all that we can be. But measured against His wisdom, against His power - we know that we are weak. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Think of how the apostle Paul struggled with some unknown illness - and was never healed from it, despite long efforts of prayer. This failing, this puj, weakness did not stop him, for he realized how God could use him in his weakness:

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me. Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.

To beings who seek to win at all costs, beings like Klingons, or we humans, no doubt this sounds foolish. But if we trust in God, we'll learn that indeed, despite our weakness, despite our foolishness, God can use us victoriously!

'ach joH'a' chose the foolish Dochmey vo' the qo' vetlh ghaH might lan Daq tuH chaH 'Iv 'oH val. joH'a' chose the weak Dochmey vo' the qo', vetlh ghaH might lan Daq tuH the Dochmey vetlh 'oH HoS;

but God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong 1 Corinthians 1:27