A question that I have had for God lately is, “Why do you give me weakness?” If it were up to me I would probably just continue on in my own strength, accomplishing all that I desire in my ability. Yet, in times like these I am very aware that my strength and my ability are quite obviously not enough to fulfill all that God has called me to do. I recognize my own weakness and need for God’s Spirit to work in and through me every step of the way, as I seek to live for Him.
In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul notes that he was given some sort of weakness, or thorn in his flesh, so that he would not boast. Paul was extremely gifted in many ways, encountered God in real and powerful ways, and did many amazing things to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul had many reasons to boast, yet he repeatedly spoke of his desire to only boast in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. All that he did was through the ability that God gave him to do it. It was by the grace of God that he was able to be strengthened to do anything at all in the name of Christ. He was made aware of his weaknesses and his complete dependence upon God for everything. He counted all of his accomplishments as worthless that he would only be able to know Christ and to be found in Him.
So, why does God allow such weakness in my life? So that I may never boast in my own ability, my works, my education, my experience, my bank account, etc. I am given weakness that I will depend on His strength for everything that I need in this life and for his work. When I rely on Him, he gets the glory. When I am weak, he is strong. In order to do anything for him, I need His grace that is completely sufficient in my weakness. May I never boast in my own ability or my strength, but with Paul may I learn to boast in my weaknesses…for when I am weak, then I am strong(in Him).
1 Corinthians 1:31- “Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Galatians 6:14- “May I NEVER boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 “Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 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.”
Philippians 3:7-11 7 “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”
