“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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Every Scripture is inspired by God and is equally important. There are some, however, to which we go with more frequency. This is one of those for me. We don’t know for certain what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was. It was clearly something uncomfortable and unpleasant. He wanted to be rid of it and prayed about it. We do know God’s answer to him.
These words were not only meant to comfort Paul, but they are intended to comfort us in any situation. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul’s weaknesses were related to the opposition he faced in spreading the good news. He was harassed everywhere he went by those who followed him from town to town opposing his message. This word of encouragement was meant for him, but it also applies to us in the issues we face.
Who of us isn’t familiar with his or her frailty? Yet, our moments of weakness can be times when we most feel God’s power on us. The reason is clear. God’s grace is sufficient for us. We aren’t to think that we have to face life alone. We may have moments of weakness when we feel overwhelmed. Our confidence is the same as Paul’s. God says to each of us, “My grace is sufficient for you.”
It is a turning point in our lives when we discover that we can’t live out of dependence on our own strengths. It is God’s grace that empowers us and His grace is enough. Those who think that it’s only up to us and what we do just don’t understand the power of His grace. It is displayed when we are weak. It changes our lives in ways we can’t do on our own. The result is that God’s glory is manifest to others.
