Thorns and Thoughts

We don’t much like weakness. Most of us do all we can to shield others from seeing where we are weak. In 2 Corinthians, Paul is speaking about a specific deficiency. We do not desire weakness to be a part of our lives, but it is still present.

Personally speaking, I particularly don’t enjoy this type of weakness. Who among us likes to struggle repeatedly with the same defeating issue? If this is you too, we’re in good company with the Apostle Paul, who said, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 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.” 2 Corinthians 12:8–9 (ESV)

What is the specific type of weakness Paul is referring to at this moment?

Are you being defeated and overcome by a struggle with sin? A stronghold in our lives where we should give in or settle? Heaven, forbid!

You see, throughout all of Corinthians, there is a relationship between weakness and power. You can read it for yourself in the following verses.

1 Corinthians 1:25 and 27

1 Corinthians 2:3, and 5

1 Corinthians 12:9

2 Corinthians 13:3, 4, and 9

WEAKNESS IS NEVER SETTLING, BUT IT IS SURRENDER. Paul is not giving up, nor is he throwing in the towel. What he is doing is much more powerful than that – he is surrendering and wholeheartedly trusting in God’s power to do what alone God can do, no longer relying just on what he can do.

Together we live in a world where success is rewarded and failure punished. Yet in God’s kingdom, surrender is a gift, and failure an invitation to trust, to walk differently with Jesus. No longer do we settle for the victory that comes through self-sufficiency. Instead, we aim for and access victory exclusively through following in the way of Jesus.

We can’t change outcomes, but we can obey God’s Word. We can’t change others, but we can pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, who can do all things. We can’t change the past, but we can rest in the finished work of the cross of Christ.

In each instance, we are not powerless, but in our weakness, our limitation, we can obey, pray, and rest in the sufficiency of Jesus. I have personally found breakthrough is found not always in a change of outcome, but a difference in my outlook, my perspective.

The more I look at a personal struggle, the bigger it becomes. Yet when I change my perspective to see how God is shaping my Christ-like character, my dependence on Him, my interdependence on the body of Christ, I am grateful.

The more I look at how someone isn’t changing, the bigger this issue becomes. Yet when I change my perspective to see how God is calling me to stop picking at them and keep praying for them, I have a newfound focus.

God’s grace is always sufficient for each life’s struggles. Here is how I best embrace how my weakness leads to a demonstration of the power of Christ. It is a simple statement I have memorized.

“Focus on effort, not earning.”

As I shared above, it takes effort to shift our perspective, take obedient steps, or pray. But this isn’t to be confused with me earning – God’s grace is always a gift that costs Jesus everything that I receive fully.

Like Paul, when we come to see the sufficiency of Jesus, weakness isn’t something to hide, nor is it something to shield others from seeing in our lives. It is the very thing that shows just how powerfully God is working in our lives.

When we are weak, in Jesus, we are HEARTstrong!