He [God] said to me [Paul], “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. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10, NIV 1984).
My Musings – Why “delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties?” These are things that most people complain about. They want them removed. But God gives us grace that is sufficient to bear up under them. That is, if we are not relying solely on our own power to overcome them.
While it is often prudent to do what is within our power (or with the assistance of others) to alleviate them (e.g., go to the doctor, take an Advil), we will not always be able to do so. It is during these times that God’s power “is made perfect in [our] weakness.”
My Advice – Let’s not despair in our weaknesses. God knows what is needed, and when it is needed. If it is needed. When it is not, we may not think it is too delightful at the time. But God is working it out for our good. For, “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NIV 1984). It may not be soon, it may not even be in this lifetime. But it will work “for the good.”
In the meantime, “extol the Lord at all times; [let] his praise…always be on [our] lips…boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with [us]; let us exalt his name together.” (Psalm 34:1–3, NIV 1984). I’m not saying this will be easy, certainly not in our own power, but be aware that despite the hardships “Christ’s power [will] rest on [us].”
And in the end, “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17–18, NIV 1984).
The Brew Is A Musing 