This post is part of a 40-Day Prayer Journey through the season of Lent. Click here to learn more and read other posts in the series.
“I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
People often take quizzes to find their strengths for work or personal growth. Usually, they then have the option to share their results on social media or refer to their strengths in résumés and work-related conversations.
Imagine for a moment if there were a quiz that revealed our weaknesses. Not to highlight areas that we can grow and improve, but with the sole intent of casting a light on those aspects of our characters, personalities, and identities in which we are lacking—the weaknesses we wouldn’t dare put on a résumé, much less boast about.
But boasting about his weaknesses was exactly what Paul promised to do in the verse quoted above.
His opponents among the Christians in Corinth, a group of teachers who called themselves the “super apostles,” attacked Paul’s authority and reputation based on his weaknesses—the thorn in his flesh (which we referenced in yesterday’s post [insert link])—in addition to his other shortcomings.
The super apostles claimed that a true follower of Jesus Christ wouldn’t have such weaknesses, and therefore, Paul must be a fraud. And if he was a fraud, then the Christians in Corinth certainly shouldn’t be listening to him.
But God had taught Paul that his power was made perfect in weakness because the focus wasn’t on the flawed Paul. The focus was on the message being shared, on God working through Paul to point others to Christ Jesus and what he had done for them.
Paul wasn’t going to hide his weaknesses; he was going to boast in them because they allowed him to talk about Jesus.
We have opportunities to do the same, dear Christian. So what if we are weak? Sharing the good news of what Jesus has done isn’t about us. It’s all about him. It’s all about his grace to people. And God works through us, flawed and weak people that we are, to point others to Jesus.
A final thought on the matter—in the commentary on 2 Corinthians in The People’s Bible® series, Professor David Valleskey wrote this:
The world says, “Only when I am strong, only when I have status, power, influence, wealth, only then I am strong.” The Christian says, “Only when I am weak, only when I realize that the world’s symbols of strength mean nothing even if I have them all, only then am I strong.” Thank God for thorns, whatever form they may take, for they remind us that we are weak. And when we know we are weak, then we can be strong—in Christ. Those who find their strength in Christ can then, with Paul, be strong for Christ. (p. 229)
Today as you pray, ask that God would let his strength be revealed in our weaknesses so that others might know him and his love for them in Jesus.
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Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.
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