Friday, March 13, 2009

Paul: An Apostle of Weakness

Became thoughtful while reading 2 Corinthians 12.5-10 tonight. I'll lay out verses 8 to 10 for you:

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But 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. 10For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I was reflecting on how true this has been in my life. It's when I've been insulted and accused (sometimes rightfully), when I've been close to the heart of some controversy, when I've just narrowly avoided catastrophe, or when I've sinned awfully and good friends confronted me on it (like when I lost my temper in front of my family, or slandered a Christian brother), that I have learned what I was really made of. When I get glimpses of what my dark heart is really like, I'm forced to look at Christ and rely on Him. When I am weak, I am strong.

We all feel a need to hide our weaknesses as long as we can. We have to, we say, in order to protect our relationships. My relationship with Christ is the only one in which I am free not just to acknowledge my weakness, or confess it, but to actually embrace it. To boast of it.

To embrace my weakness is to be embraced (in a manly way, you know) by Him. To boast in my weakness is to boast in His strength.

Anyways, after my reading I noticed this good post by Nathan Weselake. Also, Dave Black's got a book on the subject (I think). I bet it's good!


 


 

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