When Weakness is Gain

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.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV

Scholars have long debated over Paul’s ‘thorn in the flesh’ as he called it. Perhaps it was poor eyesight (remember, he was blind for three days after his encounter with God on the road to Damascus). Perhaps it was some other physical struggle. We just don’t know. What we do know is that three times he asked the Lord to remove it. Instead, God replied, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Rather than pouting or arguing with God, Paul embraced his handicap as a reminder that kept him from becoming conceited (verse 7) and as a reminder to find his strength, not in his knowledge (Paul was well-educated and fluent in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin), not in his social standing (Paul came from a family with wealth and status, was a Roman citizen by birth, and a citizen of Tarsus), not in his religious education (prior to his conversion, Paul was schooled in Scripture and oral law, sat under the teachings of Gamaliel the greatest Rabbi of his century (Acts 22:3), was steeped in both secular and religious education, and was being groomed for leadership in the Sanhedrin), but in Christ alone.

Are you standing in a place of weakness? Perhaps your weakness is physical. Is your weakness emotional or spiritual? Maybe your limitations are financial. Whatever your ‘thorn,’ pray about it. God might remove it. . . or He may ask you to embrace it for a time and draw upon Him for strength. The secret is not in a different set of circumstances but in God’s grace, filling every part of heart, mind, and soul. Don’t fret, my friend; when you are weak, you have the greatest power – Christ in you.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for meeting us in our weakness. May your power rest upon us today as we lean upon you. In your name we pray, Amen.

Thought: “Weakness is not our enemy. It is the perfect ingredient in the soil of humility for Jesus to plant and cultivate His strength.” Joel Muddamalle