“But he said to me, ‘My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you. ’ So I am very happy to brag about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can live in me. For this reason I am happy when I have weaknesses, insults, hard times, sufferings, and all kinds of troubles for Christ. Because when I am weak, then I am truly strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NCV)
Do you allow God’s strength to work through your weakness?
I love the perspective that Paul reveals in his letter to the Christians in Corinth. Often, as believers, we get caught up in the world’s view of what strength means. Earthly wisdom states that strength is the ability to keep every part of our lives pulled together and perfect all of the time. This image of strength requires “superman capabilities,” to continuously impress others and gain their approval. As a result, we try so hard to conceal our weaknesses, to keep them hidden behind a fake mask of perfection. However, Paul reminds the Christians that these very weaknesses are what draw us closer to our Savior. If our lives were completely free of imperfections, we would never need God’s mercy to catch us when we fall. If our world was uninterrupted by occasional sufferings, we would never need His love to comfort us through the struggle. I have realized that my own life’s trials have humbled me to the point where I can be entirely submissive to Christ. It is at this point that my relationship with Him has become the most personal, because I have had to depend on God’s strength to carry me through the trials. It is when I have walked through the valley that my prayers have become genuine conversations with the Father, sharing with Him the joys and disappointments of each day, no matter how insignificant. During these times of hardship when I allow my imperfections to be revealed, I begin to glimpse the endless love that my Father has for me. He embraces my weaknesses just as equally as my strengths, because they are both a part of who He created me to be. My meekness exemplifies His holiness, and it is through my flaws that God’s power is most clearly revealed. Only when I stand upon the divine supremacy of my Savior am I entirely fulfilled, and only when I rely on the never-ending mercy of the Lord am I ever truly strengthened.
Dear Heavenly Father, Your power is everlasting and unshakable. I am so thankful that Your grace is wholly sufficient for me. Your magnitude fulfills every one of my necessities. Lord, I recognize my flaws and I completely release them into Your hands. Mold these imperfections so that I may use them to glorify You. Empower me with the strength of the Holy Spirit, so that I can boast of Your power living within me. Father, guide me heavenward and carry me in the love of Your arms. In Your Holy Name, Amen
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