When I Am Weak, Then I Am Strong - 2 Corinthians 12:9-11
Last night as we gathered for Bible Journaling, there were a couple of our ladies who have experienced great loss, of a loved one, in their life. They were saying people will look at them and say, "You are so strong." and they would always reply, "No, I am not!" They went on to say how God had helped them through all they have gone through. I looked at these ladies and realized they are strong.
These verses immediately came to my mind.
2 Corinthians 12:9-11
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.
Shortly after this we received a phone call from some dear friends of ours, whose father had just passed away. As we went and sat with them and tried to offer some words of comfort I saw this verse above lived out in them. These dear people of God were suffering and are suffering over their loss but in their weakness I can see their strength.
I'm not sure if I am at the point in my life where I can say, as Paul, that I delight in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties but this I do know....No matter what I face I have this assurance that Christ is my strength! I need not fear or stress over my weaknesses because when I am weak He is strong and will uphold me and sustain me. I can stand on that truth today.
Our Glorious amazing awesome God reminded me of this word tonight. I have been in anguish, working to help a child, who is in the midst of a dangerous abusive situation. This work is hard, and personally it is triggering, horrifying triggers from my own abuse yet, my choice is to continue and endure regardless of my own anguish, I am not the one in danger. I thought our God was correcting me, reminding me of His words, "For the sake of Christ I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
I considered God was correcting me, as i thought, well i know i am weak, but i do not delight in my weaknesses and God revealed to me that i do. I have spoken this many times to other survivors of abuse, “I am grateful for all i have been through, as it allows me to understand your suffering the ways others can not, so i might be here to support you and love you and comfort you, with the and comfort i have received from our God” As i was meditating upon this word, “for Christ’s sake” God revealed to me, that all i do is for the sake of Christ. For the salvation of souls. For the comfort of His children, regardless of my own triggers or suffering or whatever i may have to endure.
Emotionally i feel … like an environmental superfund site, that will require years and years and mega millions to clean up, so triggered, afraid to sleep, afraid of calls terrorized as a four year old repeatedly drowned by their parent yet as i woke after a few scant minutes of sleep to that same nightmare again, I feel God’s peace and power and stability, surrounding me, for I abide in Christ and Christ abides in me. My first thougts when God reminded me of this verse was, I do not delight in my suffering, and God, chose to honor me and yes, correct me and reveal to me that i do, For Christ’s sake delight in my own suffering as it gives me such a deep understanding and empathy for others who suffer as i have. What an amazing God we have. To Him belong all glory and honor and power and praise.
Sieze the day!!!! Always. My gods got me! Thank you for these comments brought me back from a moment.
Awesome perspective
Thank you so much for sharing the word of Hod with us. I love the way you explain it too. I need to quote this word out loud in my hand in a season of back injury because I know now that I will come out strong.
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