9 But the Lord said, “My grace is all you need. Only when you are weak can everything be done completely by my power.” So I will gladly boast about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can stay in me.
There’s something said about naming your weaknesses and the power it can bring to do that. When we reach our limits, we can look to God’s grace. It brings God in and allows him to meet us at a point where nothing else has felt capable of fixing. When we’re at our lowest point, we try to use things like escapism, addiction, or control, because we don’t yet trust that grace is enough. We try to keep the control of the situation and try to fix it ourselves.
Paul chose to boast about his weaknesses so that Christ’s power would be evident. Not because he was proud of them or so others can make of him. He wasn’t doing it to build this hero story. He was doing this to share how Christ did work within him. Paul went through multiple bouts of beatings, flogging, being chased out of towns, and being shipwrecked. However, Paul persisted and continued serving Christ as best as possible. This is a reminder for me that I can continue going forward with everything I’m dealing with. It’s not to diminish the stress I’ve felt, but it’s a way to remember that I can get to the other side. Christ is my source of strength and courage. I have faith that the teachings and principles of Christ, and the relationship I have with my Heavenly creator reminds me of who’s I am and where I came from. God wants me to live up to the standards that He set for humanity – where the focal point comes down to love God and others. I want all my thoughts, words, and actions to align with His teachings. When I don’t live up to those standards, I name my struggles, bring them to God, and trust grace to strengthen me day by day.
REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How do you talk about your weaknesses? Is it something you own up to or is it something you feel guilt and shame over?
Next part: Finding Peace in Anxiety || Between Strength and Silence #2
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