Tuesday, November 4, 2008

2 Corinthians 12:9

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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
My biggest struggle is doubt.

In my head, I know what's important.  I know what God looks for in me.  I know that I'm redeemed by the grace of God, and that He'll never forsake me.

But in my heart, I wonder if I'm good enough.  I wonder if I've been focusing on the right things (often time the answer is no).  I question the ceaseless mercy that is promised to me through the cross.

You see, I'm a repeat offender.  I sin, and beg forgiveness only to sin again the next day (sometimes the next minute), and I worry that my shortcomings are going to keep God from doing great works.  In reality, the mere thought that God could be limited by me is an affront to God.  It is a grave insult to the one that loves us more than is comprehensible when we try to cap His power with our weakness.

In fact, Christ is more powerful through us because we are sinners.  If we were perfect, it would not take infinite love to cover us, but since we are inherently not perfect, any powerful act of God that occurs through us is more evidently God's hand and not our own.

If I were a perfect man and God did works through me, people could be led to believe that I was the source of the works and not God.  Because I am far from perfect (and I cannot emphasize that enough), no one would believe that the good works that are accomplished with my hands are truly of my own doing.

So as Paul rejoiced in his weakness, so do I rejoice in my own.  

Praise God, I'm a weak and wounded man!

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