1 Corinthians 2:1-5  

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

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The greatest’s paradox of the Christian walk is this. God’s power comes alive in our weaknesses. It promotes trust in God and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Just the opposite is also true. When we feel we have all the strength and answers, we discover life is better, trusting God in weakness than believing in ourselves.

Trusting God in weakness is a sign Christian maturity.

Walking through life’s difficult times and sometimes fearful situations is not easy. However, trusting God’s provision and believing God is in control of our life places all the responsibility in His hands. We simply walk in faith. We become weakest when we do not admit we are weak. When we think we are strong and smart, we are heading for more frustration and failure.

Paul’s example

Paul had a thorn in the flesh that he asked God to remove several times. He begged God to take this trouble away. God did not. Instead, God told Paul, My Grace is more powerful than your weakness. It is because you have a weakness that My power will grow in you. Most of us would continue to grip and be downcast because of our problems or troubles. Let us instead embrace our weaknesses and look to His greatness. During these stressful times, let us call upon God to lead us and to show His power even through impossible situations. That is where He lifts us beyond our ability to His glory.

Paul began to glory in weaknesses, in tough situations, in hunger and beatings. It was because when he was hurting, empty, and did not know what to do, God’s mercy would show up in power, direction, situations, and everybody recognized God’s power through Paul.

Lord, help me to see my difficulties as opportunities for your power to work through me.

Are there difficult things in your life that have your focus? 

Lift your eyes to Christ and ask for His grace. Allow God to show His power through you. In our weaknesses, God is strong and will gladly share His mercy, power, presence in your life. Let your lightnside shine with God’s Mercy.