Strength in Weakness

And he [Jesus] said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecution, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 2 Cor. 12:9-10

In these verses, the apostle Paul relates how he came to realize that his weakness was an opportunity for Christ to show his strength in his grace toward Paul. The weakness that led to him seeing this was a physical infirmity. But notice the way the apostle applies this: he does so in a much more general sense, and says that the promise of sufficient grace and perfect strength applies not only to infirmities but also to reproaches, necessities, persecution, and distresses. (I think it is noteworthy that the ESV translates this latter word ["distresses"] as "calamities.")

In other words, the way the apostle applies this does not allow us to exempt ourselves. We cannot say that our suffering is special. The application is so broad that we are not taking hermeneutical liberties in saying, no matter what we are facing, that the grace of Christ is sufficient for us.

So today, I hope you are able to do this. Others may not even know what you are facing; in fact, you might be singing, as an old spiritual put it,

Nobody knows the trouble I've seen Nobody knows but Jesus.

But that's okay. Because he is the one who is most able to help. His grace is sufficient for any trial, for any affliction, for any sickness, for any problem, no matter how unmanageable it might seem to us. Go to him, for his grace is sufficient; and not only is our weakness - whatever form it might take - not an impediment to his help, but his strength is actually made perfect in our weakness. Most gladly therefore let us with Paul glory in our infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon us.