The Gift of Weakness

“The LORD gives strength to His people; the LORD blesses His people with peace.” Psalm 29:11

Where else, besides God, is weakness a gift? Who else desires brokenness above greater sacrifice? It is one of the great paradoxes of the Christian life, this exchange of weakness for strength. The Apostle Paul even wrote, regarding the sufficiency of God’s grace, “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” The more we acknowledge our weakness, the more ready our hearts become to receive the gift of God’s supernatural strength.

The phrase, “supernatural strength,” is quite likely to stir up mental images of Hollywood characters with super-human powers. Batman, Spider Man, The Avengers, and X-Men are just a few examples. But this is not the kind of strength that God gives, or even honors. While man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart; so the strength He gives starts there.

True Christian transformation always happens from the inside out. When we humbly bring God the weaknesses in our hearts, admitting that we can’t do it without Him, He is honored. It is then that His power becomes most visible in our lives. God reminds us in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My power is made perfect in weakness.” This means that the weaker we are, the stronger He is in us. Therefore, when we are weak, then we are strong.

Dear Lord, as much as I don't want to appear weak, I know that you can use my weakness for your glory in a way that I never imagined. Help me to be submissive as I hand my weaknesses over to you so that you might use them to accomplish your greater plan and purpose. In Jesus' name, amen.