The Achilles tendon attaches your calf muscles to your heel bone. This
tendon allows you to jump, walk, run, and stand on the balls of your feet. Pain
or swelling of the tendon is frequent, especially among athletes.
An Achilles' heel is a weakness which can
lead to downfall. Persons’ Achilles’ heels vary immensely, for example a weakness
for alcohol, or drugs, or gambling, or chocolate - a weakness for sweetness!
In Greek mythology,
when Achilles was
a baby, it was foretold that he would die young. To prevent his death, his
mother Thetis took him to
the River Styx, which
was supposed to offer powers of invulnerability. There she dipped his body into
the water. However, Thetis held Achilles by the heel, and his
heel was not washed over by the water of the magical river. Achilles grew up to
be a man of war who survived many great battles. But one day, a poisonous arrow
shot at him was lodged in his heel, killing him shortly afterwards.
What is your personal Achilles’ heel? You do not have to
fight it alone. Ask Jesus to give you the strength to overcome it. “For we do
not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one
who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15
