The Key To Power
“Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore I will rather boast about my weakness, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” 2 Cor. 12:8-9
Paul had what he called a “thorn in His flesh”. Whether what he was referring to was a spiritual, physical or emotional bother, we don’t know for sure. All we know is that it was taking a major toll on him. In fact, he asked 3 times for the thing that was making him weak, tired and frustrated to be removed from his life, just so that he could get back to being his strong self. And in essence Jesus replied back to him, “Strong is never something that I called you to be.”
Strength is so overrated. Gosh! It took me way too many years to finally realize that. You see, over the years I’ve placed so much value on being able to do things for myself and by myself. I’ve worn strength as a badge of honor and weakness as a shield of shame. It’s been tiring and surprisingly not very productive. I mean, according the world there is no glory in being seen as weak right? And yet that is exactly what God calls us to be. You see, when He says, “…that the power of Christ may dwell in me,” that word dwell means that it is in our weakness that His power will come and literally pitch an all encompassing tent over our lives. A tent! Who wouldn’t want to have a tent of God’s power pitched over them? You see, the only caveat is that it requires the thing that most of us sprint away from…weakness. It requires us not being able to do it all, have it all and be it all on our own. It requires us acknowledging a need and resting in that acknowledgment. And that is a pretty hefty admission for some of us.
Friends, we were never created to be self sufficient. We were never created to be a one man show. You see, most of us are so “strong,” that we are actually weak. When God has called us to be so weak, that we are actually strong! That’s why Paul’s annoyance wasn’t removed. Paul’s weakness created space for God to show up strong in his life. You see, it’s in our weakness that the power of the living God becomes most effective in us. It’s where He can show up and be fully Him, and where we can show up and be fully us. No masks, no facades. Just plain ole, limited us! It can be both freeing and empowering at the same time if we allow it to be. So, what area in your life is God creating weakness in you? What are you constantly praying for Him to remove? What would it look like for you to actually begin to boast about that weakness instead of complain about it? And what would it look like for you to see your weaknesses as opportunities for God to show up crazy big in your life! Friends, God wants to pitch a tent of His power, authority, wisdom and might over your entire life. But the question remains, are you weak enough to let Him?
Questions to Journal Through
1) Journal through some areas in your life where you constantly find yourself trying to maintain strength. What would it look like to let go in those areas and allow the power of Christ to take over?
2) What are some practical ways you can begin to lean into weakness in your life? ( i.e., confessing to someone that you need help).
Tiana Spencer 
Leave a Reply