The Exchange - Retirement Rework

“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 of my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV)

It’s important to study God’s Word regularly, because it reorients us to his truth—which may be quite opposite to what society says. If you courageously decide to engage a different retirement dream, three major hindrances may try to drag you back to the sideline.

1. Society will tell you that you need to be strong and capable to be impactful. A life of impact is for high achievers, and “I’m just a _____” (you fill in the blank).
2. Or, you actually believe you’re highly capable and strong, in which case, God’s Word says you’re not in the right posture to be an effective conduit of his power.
3. Or, you may see yourself as unworthy for such a calling. “How could God use me? Look at all my baggage—surely God can’t work with this!”

Which of the three do you resonate with the most?

In our passage today from 2 Corinthians 12, Paul gets very real. Just two verses before, he admits to pleading with the Lord to remove what he perceives as a hindrance to his effectiveness. He calls it a “thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan sent to torment me” (v. 7).

Whoa. How does God respond? That is the verse we’re focusing on today.

Let me tell you a truth: God wants you to rely on him. He wants you to be dependent on his power, not your own. He is well aware that you aren’t strong and capable, regardless of what you think. And he knows you have amassed some baggage. He knows everything you’ve done. He doesn’t see any “thorn in the flesh” as a hindrance but rather as a gateway. Paul closes this passage with some truly transformative words: “When I am weak, then I am strong” (v. 10).

Deep down inside, many of us just don’t believe this teaching can be true. How could weakness be preferred over strength? How could a negative situation in my life actually propel me upward? The words of Hebrews 12:1 come to mind: “Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

For me personally, I must choose every day to “strip off” the things that try to sideline me from my calling. When I try to go in my own strength, the results aren’t just “mixed,” they’re poor. At times, I need to remind myself that God isn’t disappointed by my weaknesses; he’s ready to work through them and leverage them for his purpose. And at other times when the task seems better suited for someone other than myself, I trust that he’s the one leading.

We must choose to believe that what Paul writes here is true. If we do, we will be taking an active step toward the “stripping-off” kind of faith we need. We will be saying to God, “Okay, you said your power is made perfect in weakness, so I’m going to trust you. I’ll bring you ALL my weakness, pride, and self-manufactured capabilities. Instead of allowing them to hinder me, I’m going to trust you’ll use them to promote you.”

Strong people don’t need to depend on God; they rely on themselves. Unworthy people can’t imagine God using them. And people who just don’t feel capable enough aren’t ever going to try, because the world has already taught them to stand down.

As you dream about what a retirement season can look like, refuse to be sidelined by pride, shame, or apathy. These things steal dependence on the Lord and ultimately fulfillment in your life. Instead, thank him for the “thorn” in your flesh.

Without it, you might depend too much on yourself and too little on him. You might think he wants you to be independently strong before you should act. You might assume that your mistakes can’t be used for good in your future. You might believe that a future of impact is for others whom you view as more successful in life.

These are terribly earthly places to be, because they keep you from being in the game in which the Lord is waiting to make you an impact player. He fully intends to turn your weakness into strength as you trust him to be true to his Word.