2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Thoughts from Jed Carpenter
Dive Deeper
“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Behind the Scenes
Weakness… I don’t know about you, but that word leaves a foul taste in my mouth. It isn’t one that we like or embrace, especially in the Western world. I can’t tell you how many people I have spoken to or counseled that have expressed a dislike for the feeling of being weak, myself included. We hate that word, we strive to never be defined by it, and we certainly don’t see it as a character trait to be admired or desired.
But when the apostle Paul writes this passage, he draws an interesting parallel between this own weakness and the power of Christ. See, at the time of writing this, Paul had been on a spiritual and emotional journey with God. Paul writes that he had been suffering from a “thorn of the flesh” that had been tormenting him. He pleads with God on three different occasions to take the thorn away. But God’s answer is no. Instead, God uses this “thorn” to draw Paul closer to Himself and cause him to be more reliant on the strength and power of Christ instead of his own.
The word used over and over in this passage is the Greek word astheneia which literally means “without strength”. This isn’t just some little weakness, or a small struggle that one is fighting through. This is the type of weakness where you come to the utter end of yourself and any hope of doing things on your own. And whatever this “thorn” was that Paul is referring to, it brought him to just such a place.
But Paul learned something incredibly important, that when he came to the end of himself, when he had nothing left to give, that is where he found Jesus was the strongest. When He was weakest was when there was the most room in his life for Jesus to be the most real, the truest, and the strongest. For Paul, his weakness opened up a door for him to need Jesus even more than he had before.
Make it Real
I so resonate with Paul! There have been various trials in my life that have caused me to be weak beyond what I thought I could bear. Between financial struggles, relationship hurdles, and health issues to include my current battle with leukemia, I’ve had enough times in my life when I have come to the end of my strength. But, also like Paul, I’ve seen that it is in those struggles that I have grown the most, learned the most, and been able to see God the clearest.
A few years ago, As I fought through another “no” from God, I wrestled with how to have a good heart about it. In the midst of the pain, I had started to take account of each day as either a “good day” or a “bad day”. But then God pressed on my heart a question that radically changed who I was and how I would see life forever moving forward. He asked me, “Crystal, is it a better day to be doing so well that you never turn to Me, never need Me, never even think about Me? Is that your version of a ‘good day’? Or is a good day the days where you need Me the most, where My strength is all you have, and My comfort is what sees you through? Isn’t it better to have things in your life that push you toward Me more?”
I remember the bolder sized weight that settled in my chest. He was right of course. In the eternal scheme of things, a “good day” is one where I am closes to Christ, need Him the most, and rely on Him fully. A “good day” is not defined by my circumstances or my comfort, it is defined by whether Iexperience God. I suddenly realized that everything I was complaining about was actually the tool that was pushing me to Him more. I realized that I was created to need Him, I was not created to do this on my own. So, when I struggled the most and needed Him the most, that is when I was the me I was always meant to be.
And it hit me… Every day that I need Jesus more today than I did yesterday, that is a good day. It rocked my world and changed my perspective for the better. Ask anyone who knows me, this has become my new life moto. It’s my screen saver on my phone and the thing that leaves my lips almost more than anything else. And now, when I have a “bad day” I turn back to that truth and remind myself that on the days I struggle the most, they are just more opportunities to need Jesus even more… and that is the best kind of day there is.
Crystal Garnett
ACF Digital Discipleship Team Lead
End in Prayer
Lord,
I certainly don’t want discomfort or struggle. But I trust You. If you ask me to endure it, You will give me everything I need to succeed. I choose today to look at my struggles as opportunities to need You more. I choose to see them as blessings and tools that You can use to make me a better person. Because when I need You the most, I am more the person You always intended me to be. Thank You for struggles that make me realize my own weakness and lean on You more.
In Jesus’ Name
Amen