I noticed something in a familiar passage that needs addressing, something that has been lost in our current church culture. It is something that has been missing in my life as well and needs to become a part of my life again. Let's look at the text...
2 Corinthians 12:7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 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 weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Pride can never produce anything that is Godly, for it will only serve to exalt ourselves over God in every kind of way.
Paul in the text was a man who saw God keep him from becoming too big headed by giving him a thorn in the flesh, to force him to seek and rely on God and not his spiritual accomplishments. We know there is power in prayer when a righteous man prays...
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
Yet, when Paul prayed here, God said "no' - that Paul would have to be content with grace, for in it he would see Christ work His power in his life. Then Paul writes these words that are so foreign today in the church...Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,
Here is what I am really wondering about in these recent days - where is the boasting in the church about weaknesses? When you look around, there seems to be a bit too much boasting about how big a ministry is, a conference is, or a camp somewhere. Many ministers like to show how many followers they have on social media, how big their building is, or the size of the church. Where is the idea of weakness in all of that?
Now Paul is not calling us to be weaklings or make ourselves appear that way, but rather we are to have an accurate view of who we truly are - people desperate for Christ and ones who have not arrived at perfect maturity.
Longing For the Power of Christ to Rest on Us
1 Corinthians 12:9b Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
I have rarely met a professing Christian who would say that do not want the power of Christ to rest upon them. I want that in my own life!
The question thought is not one of a lack of desire for His Power, but it comes down to the fleshing it out, the doing what is necessary in surrendering fully to the leadership of the Spirit. Let's flesh this out a bit more with several principles that have been lost and need to be rediscovered...
1. Fully Trust His Provision of Grace - 12:9
12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
His provision of Grace is all we need and we should find our contentment in it. It is sufficient enough, but sadly we want more and find it not enough.
2. Weakness, not pride is the avenue for Power - 12:9
12:9 for my power is made perfect in weakness.
Look at those words and consider them - Christ's power is made perfect in weakness, not strength. If there is someone who makes sure you know how strong they are instead of how desperate they are for Christ, then that is a false
3. Boast in Weaknesses so that Power May Rest on Us - 12:9c
12:9c Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
It is sad that this is a rare thing today for we can just look at the social media of so many Christians and see little evidence of "gladly boasting in weaknesses".
4. For the Sake of Christ, Content with Weakness - 12:10
12:10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.
This is so contrary to what we often see, but according to Paul, this is a key to experiencing the power of Christ in our lives. I fall prey to wanting contentment in comfort, but none of that is found in the list in 12:10.
We need a revival of contentment as well for the sake of and glory of Christ.
Could this be an answer we have forgotten in an age of social media self-exaltation?
It is time for us to embrace our weaknesses and have a fresh perspective on the pathway to greater power.
Are you and I ready for this?
