Friday, February 24, 2023
There aren’t many promises in this life. But one promise I can make with 100% confidence is there will be trouble and hardships.
Yes, we face problems of varying intensities, but they're still difficult. One of my struggles is that I never think I'm smart enough to make a confident decision… or to figure out a problem. But when I stop to pray, I am reminded that God works better through me when I am weak.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
7 … So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. 8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
God can use my weakness, and I usually figure out the issue, though it might take me a bit longer.
Admitting weakness is not something we as humans generally like to do. However, when we realize God's strength works best in our weaknesses, it makes the hardship we face a little easier. Our temptation is that we want to remove the thorn in our flesh—the thing that is telling us we can't when God says we can. But God is reminding us that he is enough for our “not enough.”
It’s ironic that I had the opportunity to write about this subject, because a day or so ago I had a revelation. I had been struggling with feeling like I'm not enough, and I wasn't communicating it well with others. I was getting ready for work, and I just stopped what I was doing because I heard, “You know what you’re doing. It’s time for you to understand the words you say and live them.”
I do know how to make decisions, and I know how to teach others love. I have been doing it, but the thorn was preventing me from seeing it. I know I am strong in Christ, but I had to be weak to see that his strength works through our weaknesses. And though I don't like feeling weak, I have to remember to thank God for allowing me to see that the strength I have is because of him.
Questions:
Have you begged God to remove any hurts, habits, or hang ups that are a thorn in your flesh? What weaknesses have allowed God to work through you?
Next Steps:
Attend Celebrate Recovery to find freedom from the hurts, habits, and hang ups holding you back. It’s not just for addiction, it’s for any weaknesses you want to give to God.
Write out your strengths and weaknesses. Notice where God is using his strength to make your weaknesses better.
Prayer:
God, thank you for showing me my weaknesses and reminding me that you work better through them. When I'm weak, I cry out to you more, because I know you are where my strength comes from. Father, I pray everyone can see that when we’re at our weakest moments, you are there. Let those who seek you and are calling out for that thorn to be removed find that your grace is enough. They are enough. In Jesus’ name, amen.