July 8 – My Weakness Makes Me Strong
189 – My Weakness Makes Me Strong

#FaithBites #FaithJourney Weakness

I don’t know about you, but I never want to think I show weakness. I want to show strength and be able to handle all situations that come my way. Being weak is bad, showing weakness to others is worse. I think it goes hand in hand with asking for help. When you are strong, you don’t need help or at least you think you don’t. When you are weak, you need to open yourself up to others for strength and help.

During our worship service, one of our pastors said it best “I am in trouble when I rely on me”. We spoke about sermons he has given. The ones he thinks are written well sometimes flop, while the ones that he has trouble with, seem to touch people. Those are the times when in weakness you ask God for help.

This concept is hard for many. This leads to the phrase of being broken and needing help to be put back together. A friend of mine told me he hated when I said I was broken. He said I am a good person and don’t need to think ill of myself. I told him, I am not perfect and thus am broken. I need help to achieve my goals. This helps me to be connected to others and most important to God. Asking for help and relying on someone else is truly difficult. We need to remember that asking for help or relying on God is not a sign of weakness, as it allows God’s strength to flow through you.

Scripture on Weakness and Strength

” I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 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 made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.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.” – 2 Corinthians 12:5-10

Reflection

This passage is from Paul talking to the Corinthians. In this passage, a holy man of Jesus, talks not about what he has done, but about his weakness. He has a thorn in his flesh. While we don’t know what it is, it’s an alignment, that causes weakness. God gives him all the grace and strength he needs. He delights in his weakness for through Christ he is strong.

This is hard for someone like me who has had medical issues and is currently struggling with a bum knee and depression/anxiety. Theses thorns make me feel weak. At times I wonder, if these thorns were gone, would I be a stronger person. Would I be able to do more? Then I realize that if I had no thorns, I wouldn’t know low points in life. I wouldn’t see the need to believe in something greater than myself. My need to give and help others may not be there at all. So yes, it sucks to be limping around. It sucks to take medicine every night to keep my depression and anxiety in check. But through those, I pray to God for healing and strength. Through these tribulations, I know that I can still be strong if I accept help from the Lord.  Do you ask for help from the Lord?

Charge

First, think about your thorns? Do they knock you down or do they make you stronger? Where do you search for help? Next, write down those times when the Lord has given you strength. Lastly, share his strength by sharing your story with others.

I have many thorns and I will thrive with the help of God.

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