November 18, 2014 CONTENT WITH WEAKNESSES
2 Corinthians 12:9-10: “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weakness, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” Certainly, the idea of being weak is not the way of the culture in which we live today. This is the day when one is to exert himself-be in control-demand attention-impress others and be entitled to whatever one wants. From television, magazines, the media, and books we find the promotion of self-empowerment , self-realization and self-fulfillment. Paul had a “thorn in the flesh” that he asked God to remove on three occasions but God choose not to remove this “thorn”. We don’t know exactly what the thorn in the flesh was, but whatever it was, it kept Paul form exalting himself. Paul’s response to God not removing the thorn is a response that demonstrates that the ways of God are in fact not the ways of man. God allowed Paul to see the value in weakness. God has chosen to work through the weakness of man so that the power of God may be demonstrated. Each of us are well aware of our own weaknesses but the good news is that our weaknesses afford opportunities to experience the power of God. We are not to let our weaknesses deter us from doing what God has for us to do. We are to walk in humility, but not in shame or in a sense of inability. When we die to ourselves, we can then accept our weaknesses and can be confident that God will make Himself know through our weakness. Paul had learned to be content with “weakness, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties.” Paul could be content in all situations because he had discovered that when he was weak, he was strong! We have been made complete in Him-not in ourselves-and we now can live in His power being the person and doing those things that please Him. Like Paul, may we be “well content” in our weakness, knowing that our weakness is an opportunity for God to show Himself strong.
1 Corinthians 1:27: “but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things that are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that just as it is written, “Let him who boast, boast in the Lord.”
(From this verse, you get the idea that we are nothing apart from God-and we are indeed nothing apart from Him.)
Blessings,
Buddy
2 Corinthians 12:9-10: “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weakness, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” Certainly, the idea of being weak is not the way of the culture in which we live today. This is the day when one is to exert himself-be in control-demand attention-impress others and be entitled to whatever one wants. From television, magazines, the media, and books we find the promotion of self-empowerment , self-realization and self-fulfillment. Paul had a “thorn in the flesh” that he asked God to remove on three occasions but God choose not to remove this “thorn”. We don’t know exactly what the thorn in the flesh was, but whatever it was, it kept Paul form exalting himself. Paul’s response to God not removing the thorn is a response that demonstrates that the ways of God are in fact not the ways of man. God allowed Paul to see the value in weakness. God has chosen to work through the weakness of man so that the power of God may be demonstrated. Each of us are well aware of our own weaknesses but the good news is that our weaknesses afford opportunities to experience the power of God. We are not to let our weaknesses deter us from doing what God has for us to do. We are to walk in humility, but not in shame or in a sense of inability. When we die to ourselves, we can then accept our weaknesses and can be confident that God will make Himself know through our weakness. Paul had learned to be content with “weakness, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties.” Paul could be content in all situations because he had discovered that when he was weak, he was strong! We have been made complete in Him-not in ourselves-and we now can live in His power being the person and doing those things that please Him. Like Paul, may we be “well content” in our weakness, knowing that our weakness is an opportunity for God to show Himself strong.
1 Corinthians 1:27: “but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things that are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that just as it is written, “Let him who boast, boast in the Lord.”
(From this verse, you get the idea that we are nothing apart from God-and we are indeed nothing apart from Him.)
Blessings,
Buddy
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