The Strength Of Weakness

“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).

I suspect that Saul of Tarsus was a driven individual, what we today might call a “Type A” personality. When he made up his mind to do something, he aggressively pursued that goal with all of his strength and ability. The trail of destruction left behind him as he endeavored to stamp out Christianity as a young man testifies to this part of his character. It was a part of Saul’s personality that likely endeared him to his associates and made him a rising star in Judaism.

But it was a character trait that God had to root out of His chosen messenger. The apostle Paul would never reach his full potential for God as long as he depended on his own power, knowledge, and ability. He viewed his “thorn in the flesh” as a hindrance to his task, but God viewed it as an helper. To Paul, it was an antagonist; to God it was his ally. And as difficult as it must have been for him, Paul ultimately learned that true strength is found in weakness.

In a world that applauds the strong, the flashy, the influential, and the attractive, it is easy for us to loose our focus. We begin to trust in our own power and ability. We start to compare ourselves to others. We glory in our accomplishments instead of glorifying God. We boast in our strengths instead of our weaknesses. We brag about our victories instead of our defeats.

Father, like my brother Paul, please weaken me so that I can be strong for You.

God loves you!
Mike