Achilles Heel

“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”- 2 Corinthians 12:10


The Achilles tendon is perhaps one of the strongest tendons in the entire body. It is named after one of the great heroes in Greek mythology, the warrior Achilles, who according to Greek legend was extraordinarily strong, courageous, and loyal. Achilles became so strong because when he was a baby, his mother was so concerned about his mortality that she did everything she could to make him strong and immortal.

She would burn him over a fire every night, then dressed his wounds with ambrosial ointment, and then one day she even dunked him into the River Styx. The waters of the River Styx were believed to confer upon a person the invulnerability of the gods and whoever dipped in that river became immortal. Nothing could destroy or hurt them. Nothing could harm them. And so was the case for Achilles.

Except there was just one problem. When his mother dipped him in the water, she had to hold tightly by the foot so that she could lower the rest of his body into the river. As a result, every part of his body was protected except his heel, the place she gripped tightly so she could dip him in the water. As Achilles grew up, he was strong, protected, and invincible everywhere but his heel. The heel of Achilles was his one weakness.

And to this day the phrase “Achilles heel” has come down to us from this story in Greek mythology to describe a person’s weak area. It might just be a story, but it’s true of all of us. No matter how great life is going, we all have an Achilles heel.

Maybe for you it is a character flaw such as lying or being disloyal. Or maybe it is a physical limitation, an addiction, a health concern, or a sin that you are struggling with. Whatever it might be, we all have an Achilles heel. In this social media age, everyone wants to cover up the rough parts of our lives and instead only show the highlights. You might be able to hide it from the world, but you can’t hide it from God. You do not have to hide it at all though. Take it to God and let Him use it to work in you and through you. More on this to come in the next few days!