Weakness

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.  2 Corinthians 12:9

That is such a hard verse. Especially if you have struggled with either a physical or moral weakness, on repeat. It doesn’t feel good. It’s hard. So hard.

I’ve struggled with both: persistent migraines that are the first greeting of my day; and a spirit and mouth that wants to repeat the negative.

Physically and morally weak. Not exactly what I want to boast about or even tell others about.

But God.

He does show up in those weaknesses. And I wouldn’t know how strong and loving He was in those times unless my weakness showed up first.

He helped me speak at a conference despite having a debilitating migraine (for three days!).

He helped me keep my mouth shut when everything in me wanted to complain or speak negatively (the struggle is real – if you know, you know).

My weakness. His grace. His power. On repeat.

He is a loving Father who swoops down and lifts us up when we are weak and gently helps us when we are struggling to do the right thing. We just need to pause and cry (or whisper), “Abba Father, help me.”

Thinking of this, it reminds me of this past weekend. We took our four-year-old granddaughter paddleboarding. She loved sitting and standing on the board with us, but she also loved jumping off and then struggling to get back on. And she was determined to get back on by herself.

But depending on the depth of the water, she couldn’t always do it by herself. In shallow water, it was easy. But the deeper the water, the harder it was to pull herself up and onto the board.

So what did she do? She called out, “Papa! Help me!” – without hesitation and even with some anticipation and joy. Because she knew her Papa was right there. And he was. He put out his hand and extended just enough of his power that she could pull herself up.

Her weakness wasn’t anything to be ashamed of, and her Papa loved that she called out to him. Extending his power was an act of love, care, and protection.

Our Father is like that too. He is right there. And will extend just enough of His power so you can pull yourself up.

What are you facing today that needs His grace and power?

Your weakness is not anything to be ashamed of. It’s an opportunity for God to love you, care for you, and protect you. His power is made perfect in your weakness.