The Gift of Weakness (2)

The Gift of Weakness (2).

Our working definition of weakness is, A lack of strength due to: sickness; a handicap; an on-going difficulty; a distressing hardship; insulting opposition; a glaring vulnerability; a limitation that puts one at a disadvantage; the bearing of the difficult burdens of others.

Scripture Meditation. 2 Corinthians 13:4, a weaving together of the Message, NIV, and Amplified Bible versions:

“For though Jesus was crucified in weakness and humiliation, yet He goes on living by the mighty power of God. And though we too are weak as He was humanly weak, yet we will show ourselves alive and strong in fellowship with Him, to serve you through the power of God.”

Scripture Meditation. 2 Corinthians 11:23-30, NIV:

“I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea. I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, from bandits, from my own countrymen, from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in the country, at sea, from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food. I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face the daily pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” (St. Paul)

A Thoughtful Quote, from Ken Gire, Windows of the Soul:

“Help me, God, to realize

It is in being crippled that I learn to cling, and in limping that I learn to lean,

That victory comes not in how courageously I struggle but in how completely I surrender;

And that this is how I am to grow, by being defeated, decisively, by constantly greater things.

Help me to understand that your power is perfected in weakness, so that when I am rendered weak, you are given the opportunity to be shown strong.”