Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV) —

‘But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.’

Paul boasts in his weakness. Paul, one of the heroes of the faith… For this reason, after reading this, I ask when did I start boasting in my strength? Paul makes sure the reader knows that the reason he boasts in his weakness is because when he does the power of Christ rests on him. That sounds good to me!

Paul earlier on in the same letter to the Corinthians says that he came without wise and persuasive words in order that their confidence would not rest on the wisdom of man but on the power of God. When God uses us in our weakness, our confidence rests on his power rather than our own wisdom and our own might. This was a counter-cultural way of doing ministry - the false teachers and preachers that Paul was up against in Corinth were very persuasive and super-powerful. We don’t have to be powerful - he is powerful for us.

Let’s no longer discount ourselves for being used by God because we’re weak, but let’s remember that that is the very state that qualifies us for being used by God!

I hope and pray I never get to a day where I think I no longer need his strength but rather, that every morning I would wake up, confess my weakness, and cry out for the Spirit of God to come and work through my weakness to prove himself strong. Let’s start today by saying to God, please come and show yourself strong through my weakness.

Prayer – Lord, I am weak, and I need you. Please come and work powerfully in and through me today.