It’s Friday. Time to join the crew at Five Minute Friday and write on a prompt. Prompt: Weak Weakness
This post was originally published in 2018 on Leaving a Legacy, [GGMANDY dot COM and linked up on the Five-minute Friday Link-up.
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NLT)
Sadly, I can relate to the Apostle Paul. He had some type of ailment or thorn in the flesh as he called it. He asked God to remove it several times, but God said,
“My grace is sufficient ..”
Yes. It is true. His grace is sufficient.
First, I just reached the 8-year mile marker of a journey with chronic pain. And I have learned that this pain causes me to rest on Him. In the past, I trusted in my own strength, but now His grace is sufficient for me.
Secondly, even in ministry, I found myself doing everything from my own wisdom and my own strength my weakness. So God had to take me down a few notches. He needed me to look to Him for wisdom and strength. Oh, how it is so much better to lean on Him. So much more can be accomplished through Him when I allow Him to do the work. And it is so much more exciting to see Him do it!
Been There, Done That
Consequently, I have been there with Paul asking, “Can you take the pain away now? I have learned my lesson.”
And God responds,
“Really? Do you really think that you would continue to lean on Me or would you fall back into your old ways and begin again to trust your own strength?”
Regrettably, I think I know the answer.
I believe that no matter my good intentions, I would fall back on my own power.
So I accept my weakness, this “Thorn in the Flesh”.
I accept my weakness, this Thorn in the flesh. #chronicpain #weak #justathought Share on XFor me, it is very literal. But I accept this pain and I lean on Him. Because His grace is sufficient. And His power is made perfect in my weakness.
Hymn Favorite by Mosie Lister
Here’s a version of the song I grew up hearing on the old Magnavox record player.
Pastor’s Wife (retired) & Chronic Pain Warrior blogs about how to make it through anything by relating her own life experiences to her writing. She is passionate about her love for the Lord and desires to spread that passion to others. She has a great desire to encourage women who are following behind her.
How I wish I could be constant in walking closely with him, not slack or wander off. I understand so much when you write “Do you really think that you would continue to lean on Me or would you fall back into your old ways and begin again to trust your own strength?” – I recognize now how much I need to lean on Him, to stay close to Him. Good word, friend! ~ Maryleigh
His grace is sufficient! I appreciate your thoughts here. When my two girls were both diagnosed with different chronic illnesses (one specifically a pain syndrome) last year, I was so very weary with all the emotions, all the appointments, all the learning a new vocabulary and all that goes along with it. I worried that I was doing this whole thing wrong, as in entirely in my own strength. And, while I’m sure there was some of that, God was so gracious as to help me understand that we were walking through a tiring thing and–weary or not–His grace was sufficient. He gave me enough strength for each and every day.
Oh goodness, Natalie! I feel your pain. Just having to go through chronic illness myself has been a challenge but thank God He has been there every step of the way. It must be difficult watching your daughters go through this. For me I feel every pain my kids have.. even having a tooth filled was like it happened to me. I imagine that you are very weary at times. May God be with you every moment.
Thanks Maryleigh. I have to watch closely to stay with Jesus. It is so easy to go back on depending on yourself. It’s a daily decision.