Have You Discovered the Power of Christ in Making the Connection Between Strength and Weakness?
Good Morning Friends,
There is an innate temptation of fight or flight that lures us away from living the abundant life Jesus offers. The compulsion is to withdraw into safety or grasp for worldly power. But the budding and ascendant rising path is unexpected. We are to be both strong and weak simultaneously. We are to learn from Jesus who both walks on water and dies on a cross. If we are to flourish, we must learn from Jesus who is both God and Man and reflect His image in our lives. Have You Discovered the Power of Christ in Making the Connection Between Strength and Weakness?
Scripture: but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NRSV)
On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member,
1 Corinthians 12:22-24 (NRSV)
but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power* is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NRSV)
Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior.” Gideon answered him, “But sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has cast us off, and given us into the hand of Midian.” Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; I hereby commission you.” He responded, “But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike down the Midianites, every one of them.”
Judges 6:11-16 (NRSV)
even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated.
2 Corinthians 12:7 (NRSV)
Message: When I think about weakness being turned into strengthen I think of Gideon. But there is so much more to the message. You see, we do not like being weak. So we might just side step today’s question. It is hard to admit we do not have what it takes to finish our work for the day, that we can’t stand the interruptions that we can’t seem to get things right in all our relationships, in even writing a devotional. We feel so inadequate in the presence of others. I get frustrated by such deficiencies, even depressed by them. Here we interpret our inability to do what we would like to do as evidence that we are weak, inadequate, and useless. It gets us down. However, in the presence of others we need to keep up the image that we have it all together. We pretend we are masters of any situation. We cannot appear weak. To admit to any weakness is to be exploited. But the Bible tells us that God’s strength is revealed through man’s weakness. And here we are forced to look at the big picture…God’s purpose for our lives set against the reality of what we deserve. Friends we live in a culture that tells us we deserve everything that makes us happy…but somehow in this perspective we miss the truth, that the cost must be paid for everything…Here we face the reality that suffering might just be part of the God’s good, wise and perfect plan. The reality is that becoming a Christian does not make us healthy, and wealthy and free of pain. God has not let the poor down or failed to keep His promises. The deal is not about being happy but becoming holy. That is our purpose! Everything in our lives… our jobs…our marriage…our family and church…everything is designed to accomplish this goal. Here we discover that God knows the best better than we do. Here we discover our weaknesses are not necessarily random or meaningless. There can be a purpose to it all. Look at the life of Paul. He was made weak so he could be strong. Perhaps that is the way of God’s plan. It was for Jesus. There is no amazing grace-filled love without facing the reality of our weaknesses. Friends, I am not going to speculate on what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was but only to say that God apparently took away the burden of it. We can allow our issues to crush and destroy us, or we can allow them to be a reminder of just how desperately we must depend upon God’s faithfulness and grace in our lives. Our struggles can make us bitter or better. What are your weaknesses? Unless you are vulnerable enough to face them you are missing out on a great laugh but also great meaning. For it is here we celebrate with delight what it is to take real responsibility. And it is not so much giving up or claiming power…it is not so much fight or flight as it is restoring power to its rightful place. Here weakness and strength converge. And here we are to realize that it is to converge in each of us…all of us. We see this unlikely mixture in the best leaders. Maybe that is why the before and after pictures of Presidents are so dramatic. For in them we see the reality of what happens to people who risk to use their authority for the benefit of others, while also showing extraordinary willingness to face and embrace suffering. We see it in Jesus, who wielded tremendous power yet also exposed himself to hunger, ridicule, torture and death. Friends, rather than being opposites, strength and weakness are actually meant to be combined in every human life and community. Only when they come together do we find the flourishing for which we were made.
Pray we walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Pray that the Holy Spirit provides us with the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Pray that we open our eyes and ears to God’s grace. Pray we are anxious for nothing. Pray that the Lord help us exhibit serenity under pressure, courage during intense opposition and wisdom in times of great confusion. Pray we realize that joy, and peace and contentment do not come from our circumstances but from God’s grace-filled love. Pray that we become more holy through God’s grace-filled love. Pray we receive revelations from God on how our weakness can be used by God as well as our strengths. Pray our weaknesses are turned into strengths that help us to endure. Pray we realize that just as the human body needs many different parts, so does Christ’s body. Pray we realize that to embrace what is different may make us feel vulnerable, but that it is also essential for success. Pray we realize that it is the work of ministry to accept those whose faith is weak. Pray we discover the power of Christ in making the connection between strength and weakness. Pray we become dependent on God.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 