1 Kings 3:7-9 “"Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.  Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.  So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

Genesis 41:16 “"I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires."

On my nine-year-old football team this past Fall, one of the many funny things that happened came from my left tackle. He is a wonderful boy, but in this one particular game he was way in over his head.  We were playing the best team in the league.  The young man he had to try to block was a lot bigger, a lot faster, and a lot meaner than him.  I had spent all week trying to prepare him for the challenge.  I tried to reduce his task down to diving into the shins of the guy across from him, trying my best to convince him he could do it and we had to have him succeed to have a chance.  All week he reassured me with great braggadocio, “Coach, he’s going to wish he never met me!”  etc… During the game, his man beat him terribly every play. (Now I know you football guys are asking yourselves why I didn’t double-team that kid.  The problem was that the other team had five defensive linemen that needed to be double-teamed.  We only made one first down the whole game; and that was because of a penalty on them.)  The funny thing (in a tragic way J) was that my left tackle kept trash talking/bragging about what he was going to do to that guy every time he came back to the huddle. 

I see that same ridiculous posture in men all the time.  We pose, strut and boast out of a tragically hilarious attempt to cover pitiful insecurity and weakness. 

My simple encouragement to you is to be honest.  Don’t be afraid to say you’re weak and need God’s help.  This ultimately turns out to be the only legitimate position of strength.  Listen to two of the world’s greatest leaders:  Solomon, upon his coronation as King and Joseph before Pharaoh when his life and future were on the line.  Both of those contexts would be optimal times to strut, brag, and trash talk for most men.  These great men were honest, real, and therefore, ultimately strong.  Be the same way!

James 4:10 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”