You Are Weak, But He Is Strong

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Weak is not a word I’d like to use to describe myself, but the reality is, most days I feel more weak than I do strong. I’m well aware of the myriad ways I fall short, mess up, and fail to follow through. In my human nature, I’m needy, limited, and frail. But I am learning, like the apostle Paul, to boast in my weaknesses.

Paul had an impressive religious résumé, one that set him apart from other educated Roman citizens (see 2 Corinthians 11). Even so, he was keenly aware of his weaknesses, frailty, and shortcomings. This awareness of his limitations did not stop him from preaching the gospel or ministering in the name of Jesus; instead, it tethered him more closely to Christ.

On paper, Paul appeared to have his life together—a high achiever, someone who was well connected, a man of vast knowledge. And yet he confessed that he had been pierced by a thorn in the flesh, “a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited” (2 Corinthians 12:7). Paul begged the Lord three times to remove this thorn, which no doubt wounded his pride and hindered his sense of self-sufficiency. But the Lord revealed to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (verse 9).

Instead of arguing about other thornless ways God could reveal his power, Paul accepted his limitation and boasted about his weaknesses so the strength of Christ would be revealed through him (verse 9). This is the paradox of what it means to be strong as a Christian: when we are weak, he is strong.

Running from our weaknesses is not the remedy to become strong in Christ. Trying harder and pushing further is not the key to unlocking Christ’s power in us. The power of Christ belongs to those who accept their weakness as a means to grace—to those who rely not on themselves but on him alone (see Psalm 62:5-8).

Boasting in our weaknesses goes against human nature, but with the Holy Spirit’s help, we can accept our thorns and limitations as a means to experience the power of Christ. We boast about our weaknesses when we humbly admit that we don’t keep the world spinning; God does.

When we embrace the thorn that pierces our hearts and presses into our flesh as a gift of grace, we receive God’s power and live with supernatural strength—even in our frailty. From this posture of humility, with thorns wounding our pride and limiting our self-sufficiency, we learn the joyful surrender of relying on Christ alone.

Come to Christ as a weak vessel—wounded yet whole, pierced yet strong—knowing that your Savior wore a crown of thorns in your place. When you are weak, he is strong.

Word before World Running from our weaknesses will never make us strong. The power of Christ belongs to those who accept their weaknesses as a means of grace and rely on Christ alone.

Grow in Grace In your journal, write down a list of your weaknesses. Next to each one, write how you’ve seen God’s faithfulness in giving you strength to overcome and to continue fighting the good fight.