When I Am Weak....

"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 12:10

Weaknesses.  We all have them.  Delighted in yours lately?  No really.  Have you?

The scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:10 that we are not to ignore our weaknesses, pretend they don't exist or matter.  We are not to make excuses for them or blame others for them or wear them like a badge.   We are also not to focus on them and let them keep us from reaching out to the Lord or others.  What in the world then are we to do with the pesky things?

The Apostle Paul says we are to "delight" in them.  Delight in weaknesses?  I don't get it.  Well it certainly doesn't fit in this crazy culture we are living in does it?  The last thing we are encouraged to do is to delight in the areas that we are lacking in.  That would make us, well --vulnerable, wouldn't it?  We certainly don't want to give the impression to anyone that we "can't handle it" do we?  

Actually, there is one person that already knows we "can't handle it" besides us.  He is the One who gave up everything for us.  He is actually waiting for us to tell him how weak we are because it's at that point that He can step in and make us strong through our shortcomings and at the same time glorify himself.  When we recognize our weaknesses we are admitting we need him.  That's ALWAYS a good thing!

Are you like me, tired of focusing on all the things you can't do--or can't do well in your own eyes?  He is waiting for us to trade in our weaknesses for His strength,  to trade our pain for His passion, our confusion for His purpose.  Don't get me wrong.  It's definitely an unfair trade--at least on His part.  But I think I'm smart enough to know a great deal when I see it.  But then, He doesn't offer bad deals, does he?

Feeling weak?