Peace with Your Weaknesses

Peace with Your Weaknesses

peace with your weaknessesToday I want to talk about weaknesses. We all have them even though we don’t want to admit them. We use too much energy to cover them up. But that’s not wise. We will then miss something beautiful and profound: God’s strength in us.

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor. 12:8-10, NLT)

With the words of Andrew Murray “The Christian often tries to forget his weakness: God wants us to remember it, to feel it deeply. The Christian wants to conquer his weakness and to be freed from it: God wants us to rest and even rejoice in it. The Christian mourns over his weakness: Christ teaches His servant to say, “I take pleasure in infirmities; most gladly will I glory in my infirmities.” The Christian thinks his weakness his greatest hindrance in the life and service of God: God tells us that it is the secret of strength and success. It is our weakness, heartily accepted and continually realized, that gives us our claim and access to the strength of Him who has said, “My strength is made perfect in weakness.””

I’ve been thinking about this quote last few days. I find it astonishing that God wants me to remember my weaknesses, to even rest in them. That seems to go against all common sense. We should always try to better ourselves, right? Not. Self-help does not work. Hiding away does not work. Only Jesus can help us. God’s grace is so powerful that we can rest while he is at work in us. We don’t need to run away from our weaknesses. We need to run to Jesus, give him our weaknesses and watch how his strength comes into its own in our weaknesses.

I believe this. I really do. Why is it then so hard to live it out? Why do I think my weaknesses could hinder God’s will from happening? Yet I do wonder. The enemy wants me to despise myself, to think I am not good enough for God. That is a big, fat lie. God loves me just as I am. God has created me as I am and God plans to use me just as I am.

This grace God pours on me is more than sufficient. It warms me inside out. This is what it is all about: Me in Jesus. Jesus in me. Jesus. Just Jesus.

 

Dear God,
I come to you as I am,
thank you for accepting me for Jesus’ sake
I bring my weaknesses to you,
may your strength rest on me always.
May you be most glorified in me, Lord,
pour out grace upon grace on me.
May everything you’ve planned to do
in me, for me, through me
happen in your time.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: How do you deal with your weaknesses?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you – by God’s grace – make peace with your weaknesses.

Photo courtesy of  Mari-Anna Stålnacke. Linking up today with Looking up, Sharing His Beauty, Small Wonders.

4 thoughts on “Peace with Your Weaknesses

  1. Love this post! Especially the closing prayer…you articulated my heart for casting all my cares on Jesus…He is the only One Who can give me the strength I need. Many blessings to you!

  2. Thanks for sharing this. The next time I’m struggling I want to try to remember that phrase “rest in my weakness.” I’m beginning to accept that some days will just be harder than others. And God is in that too.

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