I am weak: but watch what Jesus will do

I'm going to do some boasting on here.

I'm really weak.

Adulting, being a mother with two little precious toddlers 18 months apart in my care, having much on my plate -these things and more have helped me feel it.

Almost daily, I find myself freshly aware that I do not have all the answers.

I often feel the crushing weight of needing to make hundreds of micro decisions each day press in around me.

The temptation to be discouraged before the day has even begun is real, because if I look too much at myself, I will see so much potential to fail.

Don't get me wrong. I love my life. It's full, really full, in a lot of really good ways. But I am weak, and I am so very often conscious of it.

There are days when I don't feel like I can take any more and would love a break.

There are times when I want to retreat into a dark corner somewhere and throw a pity party.

There are times when what is going on in my soul is not pretty.

HOWEVER. It has been SO good for me. Let me explain: Jesus meets me in it more than ever.

In fact, my weakness seems to give Him more reason to come close. It draws Him in. Often, it is as if I am in Paul's shoes hearing these words of Jesus:

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) 

“My grace is sufficient; My strength is made perfect,” says God. So, I boast gladly. I take pleasure in His means for supplying His grace and strength to me. His power rests upon me, so I am strong. 

Let's have a little conversation about this, dear reader... 

“What is His means?” you ask. “What does He use to make this possible?” 

Oh, you don’t know? It’s weakness. Do you have any? 

“Yes, but I’m trying to hide it.”  

No, no, that is not how it works, my friend. You must bring it out into the open to boast about it and take pleasure in it.

But let me clarify something before we go on: Boasting in weakness doesn't mean we throw up our hands and say, "Here are all my flaws. Let's accept it as it is and all have a pity party together!"

Oh, no, my friend... Boasting in your weakness is similar to the attitude of John the baptist, who said, "He must increase, and I must decrease." It is so that you, and all who hear you will have opportunity to see Jesus, and not you.

The point isn't relatability. The point is JESUS.

Are you at the end of your rope? Are you finding you have little strength? Are your resources growing sparse? Ah, THIS, my friend, is where His power is made perfect.  

“But I hate my weakness!” you insist.  

That is because it’s the emptiness of your own efforts being exposed. But what if you saw it as an empty vessel to be poured into? What then? Until now, you have had too much in the way, but now you’re ready.  

“Ready? Ready for what?” you wonder. 

You are at the point now where He who calls Himself the Lover of your soul can step in. 

Your weakness has made room for Him.

And this –THIS- is far greater than you continuing on in your own strength.  

Have you been boasting in your strengths? Now you can boast in your weaknesses and take pleasure in them. They –not the supposed strengths you thought you had- are the places where your great Savior fits Himself into you and reveals His powerful strength. 

Do you see it yet? Do you see why there is pleasure to be had in your weaknesses? 

You have been despairing at the weakness you feel, but if you look up, you will see Jesus rolling up His sleeves with a twinkle in His eye because this is where He does His best work.  

That which you deeply long for is here, my friend, in the Risen One. His triumphant power is ready to raise you up out of the despair you feel over your own weakness, even in the middle of what feels like defeat!  

So, will you stop fighting your weakness? How easily we resist it. How quickly we shove it aside in an attempt to appear strong.

But what if you were to just embrace it? What if you looked up and saw the twinkle in the Savior's eye and joined Him in His heavenly pleasure? What if you said, "Yes, Lord," to whatever it is that He wants to do through your weakness?

It's not so much the fact that you are weak that He smiles at. It is the fact that your weakness is a doorway for Him to step through and be your strength. You weakness is an empty space inside of you where He is able to stand and do His work.

Oh friend, welcome Him into that weakness and watch what He will do!

It will be good... really good.