In the midst of the blaring rock music, rows of mirrors, and unmistakable smell of sweat, I tried to get pumped up. All around the room, guys identically dressed in gold t-shirts and blue shorts were clapping and screaming. It was time for me to have a date with destiny.
I laid down on the bench and grabbed the bar. You can do this, I kept telling myself. Just one repetition. And with that, I pushed the bar off its holder and brought it down to my chest. Using every ounce of brute strength in me, I lifted the bar approximately a foot—but no further. Red-faced and out of breath, I yelled, “Help!”
A classmate assisted in getting the bar back on the holder. I then got up from the bench, demoralized and frustrated. Others in the room had noticed my struggle and began snickering to themselves. Steeling up my courage, I asked, “How much does the bar weigh, anyway?”
We are all weak in some way, shape, or form. That afternoon in physical conditioning class, I was the literal “98-pound weakling” in a room full of football and basketball players. For some, weaknesses can be physical in nature. Others may struggle with their emotions when in certain situations.
We have the ability to allow our weaknesses to incapacitate and render us ineffective for the things God desires in and through our lives. But we also have the ability to prevail despite any obstacles that may arise.
In short, we need to find the strength of weakness—and then put it to good use.
One person who understood this was Paul from Tarsus. Once a zealous persecutor of all things Jesus, he became a proclaimer of all things Jesus. As a result, he learned that sharing this new faith with others wasn’t going to be easy. In his second letter to the Corinthian church, he mentioned some of the difficulties he endured. They make our seemingly ‘huge’ issues seem quite insignificant: beatings, shipwrecks, dangers from robbers, dangers from fellow countrymen, hunger, thirst, and lack of rest (see 2 Corinthians 11:24-29a).
Adding to all of this was a “thorn” in Paul’s flesh God allowed in order to remind him of his limitations (2 Corinthians 12:7). Paul would’ve preferred otherwise, asking God to take it away three times. Instead, God offered words of encouragement to him—and us: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9a [NKJV]).
I think Paul’s response is intriguing: “Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen” (2 Corinthians 12:9b [Msg], underlining added). He understood that the strength of weakness is not power, but grace. For the weaker a person is, the more visibly God can be displayed to a world that desperately needs him.
Think about it: we tend to marvel at people who were addicted to drugs, alcohol, and/or lives of crime that now know Jesus as Forgiver and Leader. The testimony of a person who came from a Bible-believing home and became a Christian is just as valid, but may not have the lasting effect in another person's life because the weaknesses, though there, are not as noticeable upon first glance.
Nevertheless, where there are weaknesses, there is grace.
And each of us have been blessed with both.
Paul could've fought God for a long time about his “thorn”—a messenger of Satan—and not come any closer to having it removed. Instead, he realized that the Lord had something better in mind—despite the struggles he would face as a result. Those struggles provided a powerful basis to share Jesus with those Paul came into contact with. It also allowed him to consider the “thorn” as a gift instead of a hindrance.
In addition, God’s grace is constant despite our weaknesses. He doesn’t pull his hand away at the times when we desperately need him. Instead, we are granted the opportunity to live by faith and not by sight on a daily basis (2 Corinthians 5:7). By placing our trust in God for our next step, our next word, our next thought, we discover how strong we truly are. And this leads to a steadfast determination to accomplish the plans the Lord has for us.
Consider the modern example of Scott Eaton. In June 1997, he was riding his personal watercraft when he fell off and was struck in the head by another craft. The collision left him fighting for life and unable to walk or talk. By God’s grace, he was eventually able to use a walker to move about and recently completed a 5K race in 4 ½ hours. After he finished the race to cheers and applause, Scott (still unable to talk) used a sheet of letters to spell out the strength of weakness: “I thank God for saving me eight years ago when I didn’t deserve it.” (Here's a link to a news article on Scott)
What are your weaknesses? Are you ready to allow God to use you more effectively for his kingdom despite (and through) them? May you accept the grace our Father provides and be strengthened as a result. And armed with his strength, may you be truly refreshed, that you may in turn refresh others.
“The surest sign that God has done a work of grace in my heart is that I love Jesus Christ best, not weakly and faintly, not intellectually, but passionately, personally, and devotedly, overwhelming every other love of my life.”
—Oswald Chambers
“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
—2 Corinthians 12:10b (NIV)
All material copyright 2006 J. Alan Sharrer. No part of this email may be reproduced—other than the forwarding of the original, unaltered email message—without express written permission.
