My uncle likes to tell the story of a time we were hiking when I was a little girl. He picked me up, gave me a piggyback ride, and carried me most of the way through the hike. As we were continuing this hike, I began panting as if I was the one walking and hiking. But, in reality, he had carried me every step of the way. My uncle’s story is funny, but if we are honest, we all live like that sometimes. We work and strive to the point that we are exhausted and forget God is with us, carrying us the whole way through. This is no way to live. Instead, we can lean on the all-powerful God who works through our weaknesses.
Throughout Scripture, we read stories where God made His power known through people’s weaknesses. The apostle Paul was one of them, and he talked about one of his weaknesses in 2 Corinthians 12. He told readers that he begged God to remove his weakness three times (verse 8). Each time He asked God to take away his weakness, God said to Paul, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (verse 9a). As a result, Paul concluded, “Now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses and the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (verses 9b-10). God used Paul’s weakness to make His power known. As a result, Paul was glad for his weakness because God’s power made him strong.
The same is true for you and me today, friends. God makes His power known through our weaknesses. So we, along with Paul, can be proud of our weaknesses, and say, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Maybe it is time we climb up on God’s all-powerful back and enjoy the ride. He will never fail us!
Take a few minutes to get honest with yourself and evaluate your life. Are you leaning on your power, or are you trusting God in the areas where you feel weak? After evaluating, give over any areas where you feel weak and are trying to do things on your strength to God. Ask Him to make His power perfect in weak areas, remembering that it is Him carrying you the entire time.
"I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 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. 10 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."
