Monday, March 30, 2009

Are You Weak or Are You Strong?

In 2nd Corinthians Paul gets a thorn stuck in his side.  He says that it is a message from Satan to torment him.  Paul pleaded to the Lord 3 times to take the thorn away.  Christ replied:
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Then Paul goes on to say, "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 my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong." 
(2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

I know I almost never delight in insults, hardships, persecutions, or difficulties, but this is what Christ calls us to do. I boast about my accomplishments, about what I did well.  I know for sure that I boast about my "strengths" and my accomplishments a lot more than I boast about my weaknesses.  What I often fail to see in the midst of hardship is that Christ's grace is sufficient for me, for you, for anyone.  Christ's power is made perfect when you are weak, vulnerable, exposed, when you completely let Christ's love overcome your own pride.   Completely let your guard down and throw aside your pride.  Self-pride is going to get you nowhere. Let Christ see fully into the depths of your heart and mind.  Then Christ's power is made perfect.  In this weakness, Christ's power and love fully rests upon you and makes you strong. 

 Christ's grace is enough, End of Story.  When you are weak, then you are strong.  So the question is, are you weak or are you strong?

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