January 23, 2001
Someone shared this scripture with me recently to help me with things I am working through and new thoughts about it have been tumbling around in my mind for days.
"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me "My grace is sufficient for you 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.... For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
This passage has always been a challenge because in my sinful nature I hate weakness in myself. I don't like being weak, I don't like needing people and I don't like not being able to meet my own needs and fix my own problems. I certainly have learned to let people into my life over time, I see my need for them and am grateful for help I've received along the way but there is a part of me that still can't fully embrace this scripture.. I want to be strong, I want to be able to take care of myself, I'd rather be the one taking care of others. I marvel at God's wisdom, in many things and in many ways, but today I'm thinking about how God created the church as a body. Designed to be interdependent - we need each other. As I've meditated & pondered on this scripture I realized that the only way to get strong is to first admit your weak. In whatever area or way, the only real strength there is in life is in being completely and totally dependent on God. Sounds wonderful, the process by which we get to that place is painfully difficult. Its one of those truths that is completely opposite to the world's wisdom and everything I've ever believed. In order to be really strong you let go of any pretension of, or attempt at, being strong yourself, i.e. you become totally vulnerable. It's a pretty frightening place... at that time, in that moment you learn to let God be your strength. His grace and peace surrounds our hearts but he also helps us get strong by using others in our lives. But it only works if we admit our weakness... while we hang onto any shred of it ourselves we won't be able to get there. I can't teach anyone the things that come easy for me. But the things I've had to struggle to learn... I have a lot to offer. But I can't offer them to anyone until I admit my weakness, let God meet my need and strengthen me, through his grace, through the body. I can only give to someone from my weakness when they will admit theirs. Then God can use me to strengthen another part of the body. In this way the whole body is strengthened and ultimately brought to maturity.
"Instead speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together, by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work." Ephesians 4:15-16