Paul makes this statement out of 2 Corinthians 12:10...and I see it like this: "That's why I take pleasure in my weakness; the insults, being mistreated, hardships, troubles, persecutions, or even when I find myself perplexed or in distress.
For it is at those precise moments, when I recognize my weakness, the very fact that all the human strength I can muster...even being arrogant enough to rely on my own power...the "Master of my own Fate" stuff, culminates, and I realize my own power will not satisfy that eternal hunger inside of me. It is at that moment that His very Strength comes into its very own...in the very limitations and weakness of my own self...it all becomes "worth it"...because of Him."
Weakness is defined: a lack of strength, a possible character flaw, or failing under pressure. That is how our dictionaries define it...but I don't think it ends there...
Weakness defined as a Christian is: the recognition of your need to have Christ Jesus in your life, not dependant on individual strength, abilities, skills, or works that have its origin in our own humanness...which is frail at its very best.
I hear the word "weak" heard in my own daily encounters. The other day I was at work and this conversation came about. There was this girl who had pulled her car by the side of the road one night after we had finished our shift. She had a flat tire. so, one of the guys said, "Hey, I saw you pulled to the side of the road last night...looks like you had a flat tire." The girl replies: "No kidding "Einstein", and if you saw me, why didn't you stop and help?"
The guy replies, "I guess I didn't think about it." Another person jumps in the conversation and says: "How weak is that?"
or... a more "Christian" version...
There is this guy....he is a "bud"...good heart, got the "integrity and honesty thing" going strong in his life...anyway, this guy is married and got 3 wonderful children, and if you would meet them, you could see in their eyes "their love for life."
Anyway, he was sharing some "stuff about life" one day with another buddy and myself. He says," I get paid tomorrow, man,..it's been one of those weeks ...if anything could go wrong...it did go wrong. I can't wait for my wife and I to get to the grocery...I mean, we all love oatmeal...but my youngest asked me..."Dad...can we chill on the oatmeal?" Now, this guy said this in a light-hearted way and wasn't tryin' to do the sympathy thing or anything.
So, my other "bud" who was listening to all this, happens to be a single guy, good job, got some extra "bucks", and good-hearted guy as well. So, he says: " Man Bro, I'll keep you and your family in prayer."
So, a few minutes later the single guy and I were standing next to one another, and I said to him: "Pray for them? How weak is that?" He then said to me: "Uh...I didn't hear you say anything?"
It was then we realized how "weak" we both were. So, we went to the grocery...bought some steaks and stuff, went to our buddy's home with the children, grilled out with them...and had a great time.
Weakness...I think weakness is basically: "it's all about me"....at least from a Christian point of view. Weakness in a Christian is not measured by the standards of the world...our reliance on ourselves to overcome things in life....I think when we receive strength to overcome the weaknesses in ourselves, regardless on how happy or successful we may appear, then we know Christ Jesus is operating in our lives...and seeing for ourselves the natural things in our daily lives that come up are transformed into the...eternal!
For it is at those precise moments, when I recognize my weakness, the very fact that all the human strength I can muster...even being arrogant enough to rely on my own power...the "Master of my own Fate" stuff, culminates, and I realize my own power will not satisfy that eternal hunger inside of me. It is at that moment that His very Strength comes into its very own...in the very limitations and weakness of my own self...it all becomes "worth it"...because of Him."
Weakness is defined: a lack of strength, a possible character flaw, or failing under pressure. That is how our dictionaries define it...but I don't think it ends there...
Weakness defined as a Christian is: the recognition of your need to have Christ Jesus in your life, not dependant on individual strength, abilities, skills, or works that have its origin in our own humanness...which is frail at its very best.
I hear the word "weak" heard in my own daily encounters. The other day I was at work and this conversation came about. There was this girl who had pulled her car by the side of the road one night after we had finished our shift. She had a flat tire. so, one of the guys said, "Hey, I saw you pulled to the side of the road last night...looks like you had a flat tire." The girl replies: "No kidding "Einstein", and if you saw me, why didn't you stop and help?"
The guy replies, "I guess I didn't think about it." Another person jumps in the conversation and says: "How weak is that?"
or... a more "Christian" version...
There is this guy....he is a "bud"...good heart, got the "integrity and honesty thing" going strong in his life...anyway, this guy is married and got 3 wonderful children, and if you would meet them, you could see in their eyes "their love for life."
Anyway, he was sharing some "stuff about life" one day with another buddy and myself. He says," I get paid tomorrow, man,..it's been one of those weeks ...if anything could go wrong...it did go wrong. I can't wait for my wife and I to get to the grocery...I mean, we all love oatmeal...but my youngest asked me..."Dad...can we chill on the oatmeal?" Now, this guy said this in a light-hearted way and wasn't tryin' to do the sympathy thing or anything.
So, my other "bud" who was listening to all this, happens to be a single guy, good job, got some extra "bucks", and good-hearted guy as well. So, he says: " Man Bro, I'll keep you and your family in prayer."
So, a few minutes later the single guy and I were standing next to one another, and I said to him: "Pray for them? How weak is that?" He then said to me: "Uh...I didn't hear you say anything?"
It was then we realized how "weak" we both were. So, we went to the grocery...bought some steaks and stuff, went to our buddy's home with the children, grilled out with them...and had a great time.
Weakness...I think weakness is basically: "it's all about me"....at least from a Christian point of view. Weakness in a Christian is not measured by the standards of the world...our reliance on ourselves to overcome things in life....I think when we receive strength to overcome the weaknesses in ourselves, regardless on how happy or successful we may appear, then we know Christ Jesus is operating in our lives...and seeing for ourselves the natural things in our daily lives that come up are transformed into the...eternal!
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