I will allow God’s power to be made perfect in my weaknesses.

Verse

1 Corinthians 12:9

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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

God, thank you that your grace is sufficient for us. Thank you that you perfect your power in our weakness. God, forgive us when we run from our weaknesses. Forgive us when we hide our weakness, striving to be perfect in our own strength.

Lord, may we boast gladly in our weaknesses, as we invite you into our hearts, minds, and lives to accomplish your purposes through your power and strength.

May Christ’s power rest on us completely.

May nothing, not even our own attempts at being self-sufficient and independent, get in the way of that gift.

In the Strong Name of Jesus, Amen.

Have you recently thought to yourself, “I was not made to do this!”?

So often we think of our weaknesses as a negative. We focus on the lack of knowledge, skill, talent, or experience. We shame the way we are wired, focusing only the negative side of our personality, temperament, and abilities.

But what if our “lack of” is an opportunity for God to show up and display His glory? 

God’s power is absolutely ready to manifest in our weaknesses. The problem is that we don’t want to let Him in. We want to be independent and self-sufficient. But why? That’s not how God designed us. He created us to depend upon His power working through us, so that His strength may be seen in us.

Our weakness is the key that unlocks the door to God’s power.

I suppose I wouldn’t believe this is really the way God works, except that I’ve had to depend on the Lord to work through my greatest weakness . . . my own personality and temperament. My moods swing wide and loud. My mom used to say that I was born angry. The truth is, I was born strong and fierce, passionate and driven, focused and determined, and highly observant with a long time frame orientation, and a by-product of that kind of emotional intensity is also a propensity to anger, to being driven, to wanting to be in control. How do I know all this? Well, through a whole lot of self-awareness, counseling, coaching, and insights from the Highlands Ability Battery.

This time devoted to understanding my God-given wiring has completely opened my eyes to see the beauty of His work in me and through me in both my weaknesses and strengths. 

I’m a whole package. So are you. We can’t throw out our weaknesses without also dismissing our strengths

Instead, we need to figure out how to yield our weaknesses to God so that He can work in them and through them.

By the grace of God, He’s shown me that if my emotions and priorities are left unchecked and unyielded to Him, I will be a hot mess and disaster to live with. But when I choose to operate in submission to God with my strengths, and in honest evaluation of my weaknesses, it’s a beautiful thing! Yes, I have to work at keeping my tongue bridled and heart in check. This is a daily act of dying to myself as I strive toward being kind, thoughtful, and loving. I know you might not think so, but this is my struggle and constant prayer before the Lord. There are days in which I don’t do it well at all, and yet God’s grace is sufficient, not only for me but also my family. My husband and children don’t think any less of me for this area of weakness. They come alongside me with both encouragement and accountability, grace and truth.

When my weakness is overwhelming, it’s an invitation step into the power of God’s great strength  . . . to give Him my weakness again, so that He can be strong in me and through me.

When we are wholly yielded to the Lord in our weakness, we get to experience and witness the power of His strength at work in us.

Yes, when we are weak, He is strong.

Not quite the fair trade, but isn’t that just like God?

He is generous with His sufficiency in the face of our insufficiency. Maybe it’s time for you to experience this gift, as you yield your weakness to Him too.

How is your area of weakness — whether in skill, knowledge, or temperament — an opportunity for God to show His power at work in you? 

To continue this journey of living brave and inviting the next generation to join you in the journey, get a copy of Brave Together: A Conversation Starter for Cultivating Biblical Mentoring Relationships.

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