Strength/Weakness

II Cor. 12:9. “ My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness.”

I’m a fixer. I want circumstances to fit together. I want people to get along. I want appliances to work. I crave calmness. Candles and soft music are a needful combination to encourage serenity in my life.

And yet, the best I can do, I find I have ruffled days. I am realizing that it is easy to tap into the mentality that we should have a life free from care and spend most of our time trying to escape the hard.  But I know differently. I haven’t spent over 60 years living to be deceived. Life is tough. I am weak. The only real contentment comes in the deep, solid faith in One who makes us strong in our weaknesses. 

I was enlightened this week by the thought that Paul’s defined weakness is not just our flawed personality or being in a tight place because of bad choices. I believe this weakness is defined as people, circumstances, and afflictions that we can do nothing about. It’s LIFE. He said Satan used the weaknesses he was experiencing to “buffet” him. In other words, to upset and cause inner and outer turmoil. 

How I let people and circumstances or a day of physical pain toss my emotions about! It seems I’m forever learning that it’s not the things happening in my life that’s as distressing as the way I handle it. 

So just as Satan uses it in His way. God’s way is always to keep us from pride and self exaltation! Lest we glory when life always goes well and nothing disturbs us,  God let’s us experience weakness and thus learn humility.  I’m pretty sure God thinks humility is more important than comfort or freedom from pain. He has chosen embarrassment and humiliation  and pain for centuries to make men strong. 

So on my way this morning, I was hurried, feeling pushed and a good bit wishing for just a day of “calm living”. Feeling overwhelmed by my human limitations, and hurting for the hurting, I wanted to feel peaceful.  I felt totally helpless to change circumstances that need changing. And God speaks to me in my weakness to give me strength. I didn’t have the opportunity to sit quietly, soak up some soothing music or absorb the scented aroma of a candle. It happened by His graciousness in making me aware that He is being glorified through every event of this day, of this week. Only if I see it His way. How can such strength come through such weakness? It can only happen through the Holy Spirit. I was thrilled this morning to be reminded that “Greater is He that is in you than  he that is in the world.” I am ashamed of how I am so affected by the common thinking of the world. 

And how often I have to be reminded to let loose of my self sufficiency and trust!!