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Dealing With Weakness - Part 2

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for 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.
2 Corinthians 12:9

At first, this verse doesn't seem to make sense. We want to be freed from our weaknesses, not boast about them! But Paul gives us several reasons you may not have considered: 1) Your weakness prevents arrogance. Paul writes, "so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations" (2 Corinthians 12:7). You'll often find a major weakness attached to a major strength, acting as a check to keep us from getting exalted or running ahead of God. Gideon chose 32,000 men to fight the Midianites. But God reduced his numbers to 300, making the odds 450 to 1. Why? So that Israel would know that it was God's power, not their own, that saved them. 2) Your weakness produces fellowship. While strength can breed an independent spirit ("I don't need anybody else"), our weakness shows us how much we need each other. When we weave the weak strands of our lives together, a rope of great strength is created. Vance Havner said, "Christians, like snowflakes, are frail, but when they stick together they can stop traffic." 3) Your weakness creates compassion and ministry to others. People actually find healing in your wounds. Your greatest message and your most effective ministry will usually come out of your most difficult experiences. The things you're most embarrassed about, most ashamed of, most reluctant to share, are the very tools God can use most powerfully to help others.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for working in and through my weakness and helping me to see that I need others! In Jesus' Name, Amen