So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 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 the power of Christ may rest upon me. 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. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10, ESV)

Well, as often happens, God has different ideas about strength and weakness than you and I do. He has different ways for us to live our lives than we naturally want to live them. We think of strength, God speaks of weakness. We think of honor, God speaks about being humble. We think of getting the job done, God says he’s already taken care of it. That’s our old sinful nature speaking. Deep in our hearts we want to take care of the things that are God’s things to take care of. God is not above slapping us down and putting us in our place when we need it. He has our eternal future in mind. Temporary sickness and difficulties in this life are small compared to eternity. Even death is sometimes used by God to get us to focus on what’s important, to get us to see just how weak and short our lives really are. God will use whatever is necessary to keep us focused on Him and what He has done for us in Jesus. That’s what we see Paul talking about here. He needed God to be strong. Paul needed to be reminded that he lived only by God’s strength not his own.

Labels: Sermon, Worship