My weakness is needed in order to find strength. Well how convenient..for me.
Power from weakness.
Rest
2 Corinthians 12:9 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
This verse changed my life one day. I mean chayyyyyynged it. I was praying over a close friend's mom who was in the Cleveland Clinic and looking for scriptures that would "fix" it ya know? Make her feel more at peace, give her hope, show them both that everything would be ok when I just felt helpless... And I found the scripture above, which I had read before but somehow had not seen. I read it and moved on. I was hanging up clothes an hour later when I realized I was singing a song by Shane and Shane called His Grace is Sufficient. Suddenly in song form, I heard from my own voice something I'd never seen while reading.
His power is perfected where? MY WEAKNESS.
Wait...WHAT?
My weakness is not only expected, but needed in order for his power to be PERFECTED. It did so much for me, more than I can type here, but it was my "life changing/perspective changing" scripture. I think we all have one. And it came when I was looking for someone else.
Out of nowhere...God.
Today, I saw the first part of the verse. Something else I've heard a million times but today I'm connecting it with my weakness. "My grace is sufficient for you."
His grace (favor/covering)
is sufficient (enough/adequate)
for me (because of) His power (capability/command)
when I am weak (not strong; liable to yield, break or collapse under pressure; lacking)
So, to sum that madness up, I'd say
Christ's favor in our life is enough for us because He's more than capable to lead us. But this can only come when we are yielding to Him, willing to break, willing to collapse under Him.
I can handle that. Although we live in a culture (American) that has told us over and over to be strong. Hang in there. You can do it. But, that is destroying us because WE CAN'T DO IT. We can't do anything in our own strength. It feels almost like weakness means we aren't doing our part for God, but this scripture tells me that I don't have a part. Which sort of sounds offensive, but no friend, it's so liberating! Liberating in Him!
I've been hearing over and over everywhere I listen and look, even on accident. Do it in HIS strength. Trust, peace, fight, live, whatever in His strength, and what I'm realizing all over again is that the only way I can do that is to become weak.
Weak. To loosen my grip on the sword, so that He can move my arm. I'm still holding the sword, true, but God is directing which way I swing it AND He's the muscle that's holding my arm up. (I'm thinking sword because that's where we've been in Ephesians at church...The Word is the sword...and what I just now realized is that "sword" is "word" with an S...which for Superman means "hope"...ok that's a stretch but it was fun! hahahaha)
So that brings us to the last part...the part I've never thought about at all. His power RESTS upon us. God's capability and strength and command over everything rests, falls down upon us. Honestly that one is too new to me to even write about. I can't wrap my mind around it. Technically I know what it means, but how to apply it in my life...I have no idea. I think it must take a lot of practice.
So, because that scripture up there begins with the word "but" I know I need more context, so I checked out what came before what came above. Here it is:
6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.
Don't BOAST about the good things in our life, even if it comes from a good place. Even if it's technically a testimony. This is confusing because our testimonies are so important (think Revelation 12:11) But for Paul, he was at such risk of making it about Him that He refrained from doing it. I think we can take a lesson from that. Think before you speak.
Is this really glorifying God? Or does this glorify us even a little?
In fact when I was looking up scripture about how important it is to have a testimony to prove to you that it's needed, that you still need to give it. I found more about how The Spirit testifies than how we should. I'll have to think on that one...
The next part that rocked my world and should also rock yours is this line: "that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me" If we would all think this way and live in it, more love would be shown. I shouldn't want anyone to think MORE OF ME than what he sees God doing in and through my life. Humbling.
It was so important to God that Paul not behave in a way that was all about him, that He gave Paul a "thorn." Or at least didn't take that person away. It was someone to harass him. How many of you have someone who is your thorn? Maybe it's because God wants to protect you from yourself. From becoming conceited. Maybe you should thank God for that person instead of constantly complaining.
Hello Courtney, nice to meet you. This is conviction calling.
Stop asking for that thorn to be removed and thank God for the protection it's providing. Who knows what may happen out of that.
So all of that warning from Paul about becoming conceited and living out the Word to lead into the "but..."
God, THREE times I've pleaded with You, please take this thorn away...
...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.
and Verse 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.
So, in your struggles...with your thorns...be weak. (and don't go attaching guilt to it, ya hear?)
Listen to above song
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