A Strong Person

Today I enlisted opinions of what constitutes a STRONG person.  We throw that word around, but what does it really mean?  Fortunately, I have wise friends  that almost instantly can collectively flail their nuggets of wisdom.   One of them almost took my eye out!
Here is what they said:

•  Faith n God
•  Love is the core component of strength
• Someone who can roll with the punches
•  Understanding, committed, honest, being true to themselves and what they believe in, humble
• A strong relationship with God, a strong and healthy relationship with family, values, morals
• Strength is weakness, in that we are the strongest {or those are the strongest} when we are completely surrendered to the hope and power of Christ, not in it of ourselves.
• Self-Control
• Discernment
•  Having the courage to love when you have every reason NOT to.
• Submission to the will of God. When I am less, He is more. When I am weak, He is strong. When I get under the things that are over me...His authority in all forms...He puts me over the things that are under me

I might add.  A couple of things a strong person is not, even though it is sometimes what we mean when we say strong:

• A Tendency to be Stubborn
• A Need to Control
• A Dominating mindset 
• A Quick Temper
• Could very easily "fly off the handle"

In some ways, I see all of these qualities in myself occasionally.  The verses that came to my mind immediately today concerning strength were these:

    And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in      

    weakness." Most gladly,therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the 

    power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with 

    insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I 

    am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 2:9-10)

    Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who 

    hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will   

    run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:30-31)