The Glory of God in Human Weakness

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 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. (2 Cor 12:8-9 ESV) 

The world we live in does not know what to do with weakness. Business people seek to fire it, the dissatisfied parent seeks to abort it, the eugenicist seeks to exterminate it, and nature tries to devour it. The fittest survive and thrive whereas the weak become slaves and prey. 

But the inverted kingdom of Jesus Christ turns conventional wisdom on its head. In Christ’s kingdom, the last shall become first. The one who would be great must be a servant to all. Those who humble themselves in the sight of God will be exalted by Him before all men. And whoever loses his life for Jesus’ sake will ultimately gain it. 

Weakness is no exception in the kingdom of God. It is not to be disdained or rejected but embraced and celebrated. Not because we Christians are delusional or devoted to being countercultural, but because the insignificant canvas of our weakness shows off the matchless might and unparalleled genius of our Lord whose skill at painting with the brushstrokes of human lives has no equal. 

It is not completely clear whether Paul was plagued by a demon, an illness, or some combination of the two. But what is clear is that the Lord allowed this “messenger of Satan” to harass him and though the apostle pleaded for relief, our Lord comforted him not by removing it, but by reminding him that His power “is made perfect in weakness.”  

How important this is for us as believers to understand! God’s power shines more brightly in human weakness than in human strength! And whether it was with the Israelites and the Exodus, or Gideon with his ragtag group of three hundred men, this the Lord’s pattern in the Scriptures. This is how our Lord exalts his own great name—by humbling human strength and elevating his divine power! And do we not see this truth displayed in the lives of believers all around us? 

The single mother who must work every day from morning to night to put bread on the table and support her seven children is a living testament to the surpassing greatness of the power of God in weakness. For the world around her is astounded by a weak woman whose jar of flour is never too empty to feed her hungry mouths and whose jar of oil is never too empty to supply her impossible amounts of divine stamina and strength. The old missionary who once preached boldly in the jungles of foreign lands and now struggles to empty his bedpan while finding delight in Jesus gives glory to God in his weakness. For what is clear in the wrinkled face of such an old saint that is mixed with joy and pain, is that our treasure is not in this world—not in our activity, nor in our vitality—but stored up in heaven where rust and moth do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal. The baby that comes into the world with a congenital heart disease and does not live for more than a few days is a display of the power of God in weakness. The numerous hugs and kisses that are lavished on a little one who is not long for this world reminds us that smallness or weakness does nothing to mar the dignity of being made in the image of God but rather enhances it. 

So, go before the throne of grace, Christian! Plead with God, as Paul did, that your thorn might be removed from you. But if our Lord instead gives you all sufficient grace, then boast in your weakness, that the power of Christ might shine through your life. The concrete wall of a house may be stronger than a fragile pane of glass. But only a glass window allows its inhabitants to soak in the life-giving warmth of the sun. The same is true for us as Christians. Never think that you are too weak to be used by God. If our Lord has made you as fragile as glass, do not complain and lie in the dust on the floor. Be encouraged! Rise and work for the glory of God! So that as people look at you—look THROUGH your fragility—their gaze is drawn to the true Son, whose life-giving Gospel rays give eternal warmth and light.  

Written by: Samuel Chua