Thanks to my husband's "awesomeness" and his ability to remember passages of Scripture, I've been meditating on 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 today, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will BOAST all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Okay, just try to run with me on this. I'm trying to figure out why so many Christians I know struggle with discussing their weaknesses to others. I know it's uncomfortable and uncommon, but as followers of Christs, our lives should include some discomfort as well as radical tendencies. The apostle Paul tells us to BOAST in our weaknesses because through our struggles, the POWER OF CHRIST is revealed! That is ridiculously mind blowing to me! John Piper writes, “The deepest need that you and I have in weakness and adversity is not quick relief, but the well-grounded confidence that what is happening to us is part of the greatest purpose of God in the universe - the glorification of the grace and power of his Son - the grace and power that bore Him to the cross and kept him there until the work of love was done.” You see? Our suffering and our weaknesses have ETERNAL AND SUPERNATURAL PURPOSE! Please just meditate and “chew on that” for a moment.
Our stories of weakness and temporary defeat do two things—they prove that we are human and can do nothing without God and they also reveal His supernatural glory when we share the stories to those we encounter. Does that mean that I go up to random people and say, “Hi! My name is Whitney and I struggle with depression and self-worth.”? Of course not! However, recently God has brought new friends in my life where I have found myself sharing my story early on in our relationship because I could sense similar struggles and the Spirit was leading me to open up and expose my “baggage.” Yes, it is terrifying to open up. Yes, you will have people reject you. Yes, you will feel uncomfortable. But my dear friends, the reward...oh the reward! God will use your story in ways that you can't even imagine! He will use you to encourage, uplift and give hope to the hopeless. Your story has the potential to radically transform a life, simply because your story of pain and weakness reveals the POWER OF CHRIST!
Maybe you struggle with depression and understand how Satan can consume your mind in times of darkness. Maybe you struggle with addiction and find yourself bound in chains. Maybe you struggle with complacency and enjoying your comfortable lifestyle, afraid to step out in bold faith. Maybe you have issues with anger and bitterness and you have isolated yourself from your friends because in your mind, everyone is wrong. Maybe you have a sex addiction and you can't escape the bondage. Maybe you find your comfort in food instead of God. Whatever, your story is...remember...it's the story that God has written out for you! He allows us to endure these struggles because it allows us to find supernatural empathy, it allows us to encourage those in similar situations, it creates great bonds of friendship, it opens our eyes to the suffering around us! Every second of our suffering has great eternal meaning! Our suffering has a radical purpose! Our suffering is only momentary...until the Lord Jesus has been revealed and has come again! Then my friends, we can say, “Every tear, every rejection, every heartache, every doubt was worth it!” Trust me, it WILL be worth it!
My name is Whitney. I am a follower of Christ. I am redeemed and forgiven by His ultimate sacrifice. I struggle daily with depression as well as finding confidence and discovering my identity in Christ. What is your story?
"If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness."--2 Corinthians 11:30
