Like many of us, I, too, have wrestled with embracing weakness. The allure of comfort, pleasure, and ease often takes precedence in my life. If I'm not vigilant, I prioritize comfort and pleasure over everything else. I am certain that I am not the only one in this struggle, as each of us experiences the tension required in denying comfort in order to embrace Christ.
The Apostle Paul proclaimed a powerful truth regarding weakness throughout his ministry. He made statements such as,
“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.” - 2 Cor. 12:9
“For we are glad when we are weak, and you are strong.” - 2 Cor. 13:9
“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.” - 1 Cor. 2:2-3
Why did Paul, a man of great strength and conviction, embrace weakness as a gift rather than resist it as a burden? What profound truth did Paul discover about weakness that is meant to be deeply ingrained in our hearts as believers?
The paradox of weakness, its purpose, and power may seem perplexing at first. However, as we delve deeper, its importance becomes clear as day. Paul, a man of immense strength and conviction, chose to embrace weakness as a gift rather than resist it as a burden. He knew, perhaps better than anyone, how to live a successful life in the eyes of man without Christ. He had identified his strengths and honed them to perfection. Paul ascended the ladder of success, gained notoriety, and earned high esteem from the elite of his time. Yet, Paul also realized that his self-reliance led him to persecute the people of the one he professed to serve, God. In the end, his strength and success became his downfall. Paul discovered that weakness was the path to walk if he wanted to walk with God!
Let's explore the benefits and power of living a life that embraces weakness as a gift for our betterment rather than a sentence for our demise.
#1: In our weakness, we are not plundered; we are perfected!
“In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.” - Hebrews 2:10
Jesus, Godman in the flesh, underwent the process toward His God-ordained perfection no different than us. Jesus perfectly displayed that weakness leads us to dependence and positions us to experience God’s transforming power. While, at moments, Jesus’ life seemed to be plundered to pieces, it wasn’t. He embraced suffering with faith and hope, clinging to His Father and relying on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the will of God in and through Him.
Similarly, the Father extends the same invitation to us, His children. He invites us to embark on the same journey as His Son, to embrace our weakness as a gift rather than a burden. In doing so, we learn a dependence and trust that will transform us from one level of heavenly glory to the next.
#2: In weakness, God does not hide Himself from us but reveals Himself to us.
“Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.” - Proverbs 1:23
The most humble statement a human can make is, “I do not know, but I desire to learn. Would you teach me?” This is precisely what weakness empowers us to do! If embraced, weakness produces a humility that sincerely asks for help. When we are strong, we usually are arrogant, prideful, and unwilling to learn. God is kind by inviting us into a life of weakness, as weakness is the doorway to gaining increasing wisdom and revelation of God. If you desire to grow in wisdom, enter into a relationship with God through the door of weakness.
#3: Weakness opens the door to partake in God’s divine nature:
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life . . . that we may participate in the divine nature.” - 2 Peter 1:3-4
Paul discovered that partaking in the divine nature was experienced through weak surrender. This is why Paul wrote, “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” (2 Cor. 12:9). We all desire to encounter the power of Christ’s divine nature. However, it is the few who are willing to endure the journey of weakness that leads to what we wish for. If we want to touch more of God’s glory, we must be willing to deny ourselves, resist protecting ourselves from weakness, and choose to rejoice rather than complain during our moments of difficulty.
#4: My weakness reveals my need for mercy, which empowers me to love rather than lash out at others' mishaps.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” - Matthew 7:3-5
When we are weak, we can rightly see that we need as much mercy as anyone. As a result, rather than withhold from others what God lavishes on us, we generously extend forgiveness toward others who have trespassed against us. When we are not weak, we are not willing to admit wrong. As a result, we justify ourselves based on our perception of righteous behavior and condemn others based on our perception of their unrighteous behavior. As a result, rather than relate with others based upon unconditional love, we lash out in anger whenever a person does not meet our conditional standard of proper behavior.
Jesus taught us to humbly approach Him with a sincere desire to deal with the personal plank plunged in our eye that hinders us from giving generously to others what God has so abundantly poured out on us. Today, come to God in weakness, inviting Him to first speak to your need for mercy so that you can be protected from foolishly casting ‘righteous’ judgment on others' mishaps.
As we end, I encourage you to pray this prayer, asking God to give you the strength to remain weak so that His power can rest on you:
Jesus, I come to you in my weakness today, sincerely asking you to empower me in the strength of the Spirit! I joyfully surrender to You and desire to be powerfully transformed by You! I want to know you. Yes, I want to know the power of your resurrection, but I also choose to embrace weakness so that I can participate with You in Your sufferings. Show me my need for mercy, God, for I desire to extend generously to others what You have graciously given me! God, give me the strength to remain weak so I can walk with You!
Amen
