When I am weak, I am strong
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.
(2 Corithians 12:9-10)
I have to confess, I have often times skipped right past the "boast of my weaknesses" part in this scripture. Wasn't boasting of ones weaknesses really another way of making allowance for sin, failure, and flaws in one's life as a follower of Christ? I didn't understand. As I dug into God's Word His Spirit opened up my eyes to this essential Truth.
I began to see something different in this passage of scripture, something beautiful and necessary.
Paul states what the Lord told him:
"My Grace is sufficient for you..."
Sufficient means to be possessed of unfailing strength, to enable with strength to bear the evil at hand.
"My power is made perfect in weakness."
Weakness means want of strength and can refer to physical sickness, limited understanding or wisdom, and proclivity to sin.
Paul goes on to say "Therefore, I will boast of my weaknesses SO that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
Rest means fix a habitation on.
Paul isn't boasting of his weaknesses with the desire to make excuse for sin, to make himself appear humble before men, or to showcase some false pretense that he enjoys suffering. Paul is very specific as to why he does this. It is so Christ's power can live on him; so Christ's power can make it's home in Paul's life. He boasts of weaknesses for the sake of Christ; so Christ may be glorified.
Paul learned this beautiful surrender, if you will.
Before the above passage of scripture Paul talks about a "thorn in his flesh"; something God allowed in his life so that Paul would not grow conceited. Paul had asked the Lord to take this weakness, whatever it was, away from him, but God's answer was far better. God said, "My divine influence on your heart, favor you dont deserve, will be unfailing strength for you. My power is complete in your weakness." Wow!
Paul is encouraging us to surrender daily, for all our days. Daily confessing that we can do nothing apart from Christ.
This is the beautiful and necessary surrender into the unending riches of God's grace and strength! Strength to overcome evil, to have victory over sin, to choose Truth, to walk through the difficulties of life, and to live for God's glory.
When we are weak and confess our continual need for Christ, He makes us strong!
I have found often times, pride gets in the way; it hinders and hurts. Pride can disguise itself as many things and I have found the masks of self reliance, self righteousness, and self condemnation hanging in my closet.
Pride demands we do things in our own strength and bask in the glory for the good in our lives. When we fail, what does pride do? It uses guilt, condemnation, and fear as the motivating whip to try harder, do more, be more determined. Pride says, "I can do this on my own; i'm a good person." Pride conceals our exhaustion and depletes us of strength.
Pride can hinder the plentiful and precious supply of God's strength because reliance on our own limited strength keeps us from surrendering completely.
Pride can hurt us because it can hold us back from running into the forgiving, loving, sanctifying, strength-equipping arms of God!
God offers the best way...
"God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves, therefore, to God." (James 4:6-7a)
God gives grace to those who are willing to boast of their weaknesses and confess their continual need for His unfailing strength!
Look at these wonderful accounts of humility we read in God's Word:
The woman who washes Jesus' feet
The prodigal son
The prayer of the tax colletor
(See full accounts in Luke 7:36-50, Luke 15:11-32, Luke 18:10-14)
All these accounts tell of each person's beautiful surrender:
The woman was weeping at Jesus' feet washing them with her tears.
The prodigal son said, "I have sinned...I'm no longer worthy to be called your son."
The tax collector said, "God, be merciful to me a sinner."
And all of these accounts tell of the grace given:
Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you, go in peace."
The father said to the son, "let us celebrate. For this, my son, was dead but is alive again, was lost, but now is found."
Jesus said about the tax collector, "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified."
God is the God of the humble, who look to Him and Him alone. He's close to the one with a broken heart. This is His way. Its confessing we have nothing to offer except weaknesses and discovering life lived in His life-changing strength! How good He is!
I'm finding such freedom in boasting of my weaknesses and letting go of pride. In so doing, I am overwhelmed by God's grace...
All Glory to God!
Blessings,
Amy
