“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 of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
I opened my eyes to another day of experiencing physical pain. It is defeating to live life in pain; it weighs you down and plays with your mind. Those days when I wake up still hurting and still hoping it will pass, I grow weary because my body is weak.
Chronic illness can test the very best of who we are. Maybe it’s not a chronic illness but destructive anxiety or crippling depression. Whatever plagues us each day can start to define who we are; it can be the hole that we crawl into to hide, and the one thing we constantly beg for relief from.
Living with these things reminds us that we are dwellers in a broken world and broken bodies.
One thing I have learned is that chronic pain, destructive anxiety, or crippling depression keeps us coming back to the Father again and again. I cannot lean on my own strength because I have none. It is when life goes well and there are no problems in our day to day that we neglect or ignore God. It is those days when our Bibles collect dust and prayers haven’t left our lips. But affliction and weakness pull the dusty Bible from the shelves, hear endless prayers uttered, and confess a dependence on the only One strong enough to see us through.
Paul wrote about an affliction he had in 2 Corinthians 12. This affliction he merely referred to as a thorn in the flesh. A thorn may not seem like much, but it can cause you to bleed; it brings pain and discomfort. In verse eight, Paul calls it “a messenger of Satan, sent to harass me.” This thorn plagued him and would not leave him alone. A constant companion that harassed him.
Commentators cannot agree on what this thorn in Paul’s flesh was. It could have been a physical ailment, persecution, or opposition. Whatever the thorn is, the verse applies to many areas in Paul’s life and ours.
The thorn had a purpose; it served as a reminder that he was weak.
The truth is that God’s plans and purposes are not hindered by our weaknesses. In fact, as we read these verses, we learn that God is strong and glorified when we are weak. Paul was not thwarted by his weakness—no, he rejoiced in it.
Weakness is a common theme seen throughout Scripture. Our favorite Bible heroes were weak. Abraham feared for his life enough to claim his wife as his sister, David took the wife of another man and had him murdered, Moses acted in anger, Sarah was old when she gave birth to Isaac, and I could keep going.
We are all fraught with some kind of weakness; it may not be physical but mental or even circumstantial. Whatever our weakness, it is not without purpose, and in that, we can rejoice knowing that God will display His strength.
It can be a challenge to look at my weakness and rejoice. The days can feel hard and weary. When I pray for healing and it doesn’t come, rejoicing can be difficult.
Paul asked for the thorn in his flesh to be removed. In 2 Corinthians 12, he tells us he asked God three times, and each time God said no. God’s not punishing us by leaving us in our weakness. Sometimes our weakest place is the best place.
Tomorrow, I may wake up and my pains have been eased or maybe even temporarily gone, or I may wake up to the same pain, and yet I can rejoice. I will hold up my hands to the Father, and I will seek His strength to get me through the tough days. I will rest in His strength when I am weak.
Gracious and Glorious Father, my weakness seems great, my mind and body weary. Help me to see your strength in these days. Open my eyes so that I may see your hand steadfastly holding me up, God. I pray that in my weakness you will be glorified, your name magnified, and your will accomplished. Help me to be content in my weakness, my eyes ever fixed on you and your good purposes. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Sasha Freemind
Michelle Rabon is helping women be disciples who make disciples. Michelle has her MDiv in Ministry to Women from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently serving as Women’s Ministry Director in her local church. She is also the author of Holy Mess. When she is not writing or teaching, she enjoys reading, being close to the ocean, and drinking a lot of coffee. You can connect with Michelle at www.michellerabon.com
Originally published Thursday, 14 March 2024.
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