Words by our Priest-in-Charge:
Strength in weaknesses
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so 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. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Sooner or later, we will come to realize these 2 facts: the world we live in is not perfect; I am not perfect! Imperfection in human society and in us would normally expose us to weakness, and weakness would subject us to vulnerabilities – relational, spiritual or physical.
But in God’s economy and in His manifold wisdom, weakness does not necessarily translate into vulnerability. When we are weak, and we acknowledge our weakness, we then are on a journey to seek help and strength. As God’s people, when we are weak, we have one who is the Overcomer, the Victor, the Loving Father, the Counselor to turn to. When we lay in total desperation, without strength and hope, God will not leave us in that state. He does not just provide us with strength that we might get up and move on, but He comes to us and become our strength in us.
Paul knew this well. Even the apostle of great faith did experience the vulnerability that came from the weakness in him. Yet, he experienced strength at the point of his vulnerability. Today, as disciples of Jesus, we have that same strength – more than just mental and physical strength, but real resource to face every situation or point of vulnerability, so that though we are weak, we are not vulnerable to defeat or failure, or even death. This is our heritage. Our God works in such supernatural and miraculous way in and through our weaknesses. Not that God “needed” us to be weak, so that He could show His strength, but weaknesses are consequences of sin and our Fallen state – inevitable. But God works through the “inevitables” in life and turn them into blessings for us.
When you are weak, then you are strong!