Depending on God
When we are weak, then we are strong.
II Corinthians 12:7-11 — And lest I should be exalted about measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
This is the verse I come back to again and again. It’s like an oft-ridden road, familiar and safe and everlastingly beautiful. It’s like a wide open space, liberating and billowing and everlastingly unfolding. God’s Word is the same yesterday, today, and forever and yet always revealing new meaning and deep revelation and refreshing truth in every pass. God’s Word is river and road, alive and living and active and firm and constant and true.
II Corinthians 12:7-11 springs to life in every season for me. Like the entire Bible, this verse is evergreen. Life can be hard, but did you know that God is with you in the hard places? Did you know that God is on full display when you come to the end of yourself? Did you know that in God’s kingdom, weakness becomes strength?
In II Corinthians 12:7-11, the apostle Paul teaches us that our strength resides in the power of Jesus Christ. The most powerful life is a life that is fully dependent on Him. Our strength is not derived from human efforts, worldly methods, or natural abilities. Our strength is derived from Jesus Christ, the name above every name, El Shaddai, the All Sufficient One. The power that God supplies is all sufficient and more than enough. God is able to supply all our needs, including strength, to face life and its many challenges, because God is everything we need (Philippians 4:19).
The Lord told Paul and the Lord continues to tell us this truth today: I the Lord Jesus Christ am enough for you. I am enough to forgive you and give you eternal life through my death on the cross (John 3:16); I am enough to heal you and set you free (Isaiah 53:5); I am enough to make you whole; I am enough to transform your mind (Romans 12:2); the I AM of Exodus says “I am enough!”
Our God is not only enough for the big things. He’s also enough to help us with the small things. That sounds pretty intuitive, right? Yet I believe for so many of us, it’s hard to remember that. The Lord is enough for that difficult conversation; He can give you the right words to say. The Lord is enough when you don’t know how to finish that project at work; He can reveal the next step. The Lord is enough when you don’t know how to respond to that text, how to comfort that friend, where to submit that next resumé. He’s there even in the seemingly small moments. God is all sufficient in all situations. Will you trust Him to be that for you?
When reading II Corinthians 12:7-11, it’s tempting to focus on verses 9 and 10, the parts that feel victorious. I love those parts too! However, if we back up a couple verses and consider the text in entirety, the latter half of the passage takes on even more meaning. The apostle Paul explains that he is afflicted by a thorn in the flesh that he begs God to take away. Rather than removing the thorn, which Paul describes as a messenger of Satan that keeps him humble, the Lord tells Paul that His grace is sufficient and not only is it sufficient, it is perfect, complete, and whole in our weakness.
Wow! Just stop and take that in. At our lowest, God is mightiest. At our emptiest, God is fullest. At our weakest, God is strongest. Not because God is changing, but because we are. When we humble ourselves and see ourselves as we truly are - dust in the palm of God’s hand - we can see God for who He truly is - All Sufficient One ready to provide His more-than-enough overflowing grace to every situation we face. When we are weak, we are strong - God meets our complete depletion with His complete power. Less of me, more of Him, that my 0% would be met by His 100% grace, that my weakness would be totally filled by His strength.
This beautiful exchange of God’s strength for my weakness requires dependence. And dependence requires humility. Humility is an accurate view of who I am - God-breathed dust, here to fulfill His purposes, someone in full need of a Savior, one reliant on supernatural grace to live the life I’ve been called to. This is why the Lord refused to remove the thorn from Paul’s flesh. God in His mercy knows that the greatest, most powerful, most fulfilling life is the one lived totally dependent on Him. Not a life that allows us to boast in our own talents, skills, plans, or abilities (which all belong to God anyway). God desired to give Paul and desires to give us an all-sufficient life, full of His power and strength. It requires us to rely on Him in humility and dependence. God desires to display His power in your life. Will you let Him?
The knowledge of God’s power in our lives brings us pleasure. It brings us joy. Happiness is circumstantial; joy is constant because it is a fruit of God’s unchanging Spirit. Paul takes pleasure in infirmities, reproaches, needs, persecutions, and distresses. It brings Paul joy - not bodily, but spiritually - to witness God’s power on full display in his weakest moments. Paul’s joy is in knowing God and making Him known. Humble dependence on Christ’s power, not human strength, brings glory to God and serves as a beautiful testimony of His faithfulness in all circumstances.
As you consider II Corinthians 12:7-11, what thorns can you identify in your own life? What difficult circumstances is God allowing you to endure that require you to be fully dependent on Him? God hasn’t forgotten about you; He’s teaching you the pace of His grace. He’s exchanging self-reliance for Christ-reliance. He’s replacing self-confidence with God-confidence. He’s transforming self-sufficiency into a hunger for His all-sufficiency.
Are you in a season of exchange? Would you submit and surrender, acknowledging that God is inviting you to rely on His power, peace, love, wisdom, nourishment, hope, grace and everything in-between to face whatever giant is before you? The end of yourself is the beginning of God. He has strength for your weakness, rest for your weariness, healing for your brokenness, hope for your heartbreak, joy for your sorrow, fullness for your emptiness, acceptance for your rejection. Would you turn it all in to God, who loves you with an everlasting love? He has a plan for your life and He desires to have a life-changing relationship with you personally.
Realize that God is using the hard parts of your life to cultivate a dependence on Him. This is Christ’s mercy at work. Challenging seasons may cause us to feel like God has forgotten about us. However, these seasons are a sign of God’s love and provision as He conforms us into greater Christlikeness and a deeper dependence on Him. Difficulties don’t mean we’ve been forsaken (in fact, God promises never to leave nor forsake us). Difficulties are an opportunity to witness God’s full power on display in our lives, an invitation to set our own strength on the altar that it might be transformed into the supernatural power of God.
The same power that allowed young David to kill Goliath is available to us today. It’s the same power that surrounded Daniel in the lion’s den. It’s the same power that empowered Paul and Silas to worship in prison. It’s the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. It’s the same power that will allow you to bless those who curse you, to love when they hate, to have joy in sorrow, to feel comfort amid pain, hope despite heartbreak, strength in weakness. It’s not by our own power or our own might, but only by His Spirit.
In the big and the small, in the mundane and the earth-shattering, depend on Christ’s strength - not your own. Allow the full power of Christ to rest upon you as you empty yourself and find yourself filled by Him. His strength is sufficient. His power is available in our weakness - perfectly, totally, wholly, completely.