Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me-to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
~2 Corinthians 12:7-10
I have just been blessed to hear Mark Hall of the group of Casting Crown's testimony once again and have been so encouraged by it. If you have never heard his testimony, I encourage you to take some time when you get a chance to listen to it. It is about twenty minutes long in its entirety but it is well worth hearing. It is the story behind the lyrics to the song, "Voice of Truth." Here are links I found to it on Youtube:
Part I: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUvo39HoCew&feature=related
Part II: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHPiiG70hwA&feature=related
Part III: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-L1rNY5Rn8&feature=related
I think that Mark gives a good testimony of what God can do in our weaknesses. No one would have ever thought that this man with ADD and dyslexia would be a youth minister and play a role in a powerful Christian band.
A close look at the track records of many of those whom God chose to use in the Bible are not impressive at all. Moses struggled with speaking, Gideon wavered in his faith, Jeremiah claimed that he was too young, Samson wrestled with lust, and even young David was deemed so insufficient that his father, Jesse, did not even call him out of the fields to be considered as king. Peter also is an example of a man full of weaknesses. In fear and timidity, he denied Christ, not once, but three times. Yet, all of these men were tremendously used to make a difference for God's glory. How did they overcome their weaknesses in order to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, become one of the most beloved kings of Israel and play a crucial role in the development of the church? The answer is not what "they" did but what "God" did through them.
Consider Paul and his weaknesses. He first identified a purpose in his weakness. He states to the Corinthian church that God permitted this "thorn in the flesh" to afflict him. The purpose of it was to keep hiim humble. So that he would not be tempted to boast of the visions he recently shared, he was given this weakness, whatever it may have been. If we had the full power to do whatever the Lord has called us to do, we would get cocky and boast in our ability. It is my weaknesses in the ministries that the Lord has used me in that reminds me that He is the one doing the work and not me. It would have fallen apart if it was left up to me without God's strength working through my weaknesses.
Regardless of whether this "thorn" was a physical illness or an actual person who caused Paul grief, it was something that he felt was hindering him. When praying for God to take it away, he received a surprising answer. God told him "no". Instead, God pointed out that He had everything that Paul needed to serve with the affliction of the "thorn." His grace is sufficient! While we have weaknesses God has the strength we need to perform the tasks He has in store for us. We just need to trust in Him and allow Him to work in us so that He can work through us. A simple prayer recognizing our weaknesses and asking for God's strength can go a long way.
Paul did not give up and throw in the towel because this weakness would hold him back from fully serving God. Instead he understood the principle that the Lord told him, "for power is perfected in weakness" (v 9). Instead of taking the weakness or hindrance away, God desired to use Paul's weakness to bring Him glory. For He would strengthen Paul where he was weak.
This should be great encouragement for all of us with our many weaknesses. Satan will tell you to give up because you are not good enough. He will tell you that you do not have what it takes. And to be honest, truly we cannot serve God because of our weaknesses, on our own. We need to tap into the sufficiency of God's grace. As Paul pointed out in the letter earlier, "Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant" (2 Corinthians 3:5-6). If God is calling you to do something, He will give you the strength you need. Since Moses struggled with public speaking, He provided Aaron to be his mouth to compensate for the weakness. Gideon did not even have to physically fight his battle because God fought it for Him.
God's answer to Paul's pleading for his "thorn" to be removed had him change his attitude regarding this weakness. He now did not plead for it to be taken away but instead boasted about it so that "the power of Christ may dwell in me" (vs 9). He actually focused on what he was not able to do instead of what he was good at! Because he knew that when he did well where he was weak, that it was clearly God's power working through him. God deserved the glory and not Paul!
Let this be an example to us. God desires to use you regardless of all of your weaknesses. In fact, He chose to save you and to use you because of your weaknesses: For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God (I Corinthians 1:26-29). It brought God more glory to use a small insignificant shepherd boy to be a major significant king than to use the most handsome in Israel who appeared to be king material in the world's eyes. Dont focus on how the world sees you but how Your Heavenly Father does. As a dear friend once shared with me; "If the Lord brings you to it, He will bring you through it." May you be encouraged to instead of letting your weaknesses hinder your service for God to rather seek Him to be your strength in those weak areas and give Him the glory for the work that He does through such weak clay pots!
In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria
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