Who knew that weakness could be the link to God’s grace and Power? Indeed the work of God is foolishness to the carnal mind of man. Only by the Spirit of God can we see things as He sees them.
Weakness rarely has a place in society; no one wants to associate with weakness. The culture of our generation shames weakness. There is no space or time to even deal with weaknesses. Weakness is always associated with failure and everyone frowns on failures. We don’t hear of weaknesses, we only hear the story of success through strength. We have been raised to associate with the strong, with strength to guarantee success. In fact, we are taught to frown at thoughts of weakness, and to disassociate with anything that highlights our weaknesses.
We may frown and hide our weaknesses, but that does not take them away. Wisdom always invites God where there is weakness.
The last couple of days have been difficult for me. I am usually a morning person, at my brightest and happiest in the mornings. I am usually bursting with energy and strength. However the last couple of days I woke up with fatigue; Weakness made my mornings and days quite difficult and frustrating. I chose to ignore the first morning, thinking it was just one of those days. But a couple of days later with the same weakness and I could no longer ignore what I was going through. I run to the Lord in prayer. Thank God, He is not silent, He speaks. He said to me by the Holy Spirit; GRACE.
What is weakness?
Dictionary. com defines weakness as the state or quality of being weak, lacking strength, firmness, vigour , a state of feebleness. Weakness is also defined as an inadequate or defective quality in a person’s character; or slight fault or defect.
Sad Fact: Weaknesses have great potential to birth depression, suicide, sadness, discouragement and frustration.
Does one choose their weakness? Did you choose your weaknesses? I surely know I didn’t choose the weaknesses I have to deal with. In fact, many times, we run to God begging Him to take away them away.
When we get into places or circumstances or situations that reveal our weaknesses, we don’t know how to handle them. So what does one do when faced with overwhelming weakness?
It is easy to ignore or hide the weaknesses in our lives but that won’t erase them but only make them that shameful burden we want to escape. We should instead bring them before God. The apostle Paul pleaded with God three times to take away the weakness. But God did not take it away. God only told Him that His grace was more than enough to live with that weakness.
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.”
(2 Corinthians 12:8 NIV)
One of the descriptions about God I particularly treasure is that He is full of Grace. God is gracious, it is just who He is. He is Grace. When we invite Him into our weak places, we get to see His nature of Grace in full swing. Grace is unmerited, it is a blessing He gives to those who particularly don’t even deserve it. There is surely not better place to experience His perfect Grace than when we are weak. Think of Grace as the key that will unlock the blessings found in your weaknesses, revealing His power.
Grace is God choosing to bless us rather than curse us as our sin deserves. It is His benevolence to the undeserving.
We have heard about God’s power, maybe read about it in the Word or heard others testify and we want to experience it. God surely reveals His power in the midst of weakness. Weaknesses are opportunities to see the power of God in our lives.
True Fact: Weaknesses are where we get to experience God’s power in its entirety. We don’t have to be ashamed of weaknesses, but we can delight in them knowing that Christ’s power is made perfect tangibly in our lives.
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.… (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV)
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I bring before you my own weaknesses and the weaknesses of everyone struggling to see your grace. Strengthen us from within in the midst of every weakness in our lives to see your grace and strength perfecting us. Help us to delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties that we may know your Power and Grace. In Jesus Name I pray, AMEN.
