9 but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.”Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me. 10 So I am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am strong [truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God’s strength]. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, AMP)
In reality, we all live this out daily in our lives. As we share our faith, teach a class, help another person, or try to write a blog post that says something valuable, we are acting in our weakness and God's strength if any fruit is to come from our efforts. In our strength, it is all hay and stubble. In His strength, lives can be changed. We just don't always see such a literal picture of God's strength using our weakness. With Nick, it's clear. Two years ago at a writers' conference, we heard the keynote speaker who has battled tongue cancer. She was amazing, and God spoke through her so strongly as she shared in spite of her weakness.
These people give me hope. These verses help me feel brave. I've never known the Lord to call us to do what we can do on our own. I think that is by design. He knows if we can do it ourselves, we will. And in that process, we will forget Him. We will forget that it is His plan, His calling, and His results. We would be puffed up, because that's what we do as humans. Pride may come before a fall, but I think pride comes before a fall, after a fall, during a fall, and even if there is no fall if we're not careful to remain humble and focused on God. In addition to pride, we also battle such stumbling blocks as fear, doubt, comparison, and any number of other mind games. Is it any wonder that if we are going to worship God in the right way, we have to let God renew our minds, and we must give ourselves as living sacrifices? (Romans 12:1-2)
We praise God for such promises as what we find in Ephesians 2:10 (AMP): For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].
As living sacrifices
with renewed minds focused on Christ,
we worship God with our lives as
God accomplishes His plans He had before we were even born,
and we can rest, confident that in our weakness He is strong.
How does God want to use your unique, amazing masterpiece of a life for His glory? What weakness will you put in His capable hands today?
