When was the last time you embraced God’s strength?
Is that something you think about?
I could be wrong, but it doesn’t seem like something that we strive for. Paul has a very interesting take on how he embraced the strength of God.
Paul tells us a glimpse of things he could boast about… he could’ve gone into great detail about the things that God had shown him intimately through the Holy Spirit, but he knew in himself that it was something that he’d be boasting about and he chose to represent the life of Jesus to others by taking a different approach. Likely a very different approach even then, as it is today.
“That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. 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.
Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 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. 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.” – 2 Corinthians 12:5-10
I don’t know if you’re like me and get a little twitch in your eye with the idea of boasting about your weakness; however, Paul’s life is a collection of extreme hardships that he went through. Yes - we know him as a man whose life changed drastically once meeting Jesus and who lived with boldness faithfully. Who knew the Spirit intimately and preach wherever God sent him to go. But his life was certainly anything from easy or comfortable. And he chose to boast in his weaknesses – the insults, hardships, persecution, troubles, and suffering. It is obvious that he learned time and time again that that is where he experienced the greatest of strength through the Spirit of God in him. He embraced God’s strength.
May we be women of God who don’t succumb to the narrative of our hardships or annoyances, but that we would learn to embrace God’s strength and boast in Him alone. Amen? Amen!
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