WE
SHOULD GIVE THANKS FOR OUR WEAKNESSES!!
READ: 2 Corinthians
12: 7-10
“Serve wholeheartedly, as
if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know the Lord will reward
everyone for whatever good he does, …” Eph. 6: 7-8, (NIV)
We
are frequently exhorted to count our blessings and to use our talents for His
glory. Further, we are strongly reminded
that we were not saved just for our own benefit but to serve Christ and build
up His church
(Eph. 4:12). However, our fear of failure or sense of embarrassment
frequently acts as barriers to our serving and often we actively try to hide
these weaknesses. We tend to forget that
some of the great heroes of our faith expressed reluctance in serving: Moses
(Exodus 3: 10ff); Jeremiah (Jer. 1: 6-8); Timothy (I
Tim.
Further, if we believe God is the
source of our gifts and likewise our talents, might our “weaknesses” also be
gifts? In other words, do our
“weaknesses” really serve a purpose in our lives? Three major purposes seem to readily emerge: 1) they “force” us to recognize that we are
not really in control and thereby directs our
attention back to a Higher Power. 2) The
old saw, “We can become so heavenly inclined that we become no earthly good”
frequently proves to be true, especially in regard to our witnessing. Do we unintentionally transmit the image that
we are “above the fray” or do we communicate, that we too, are sinners in need
of grace? Which image might be more
effective in allowing people to see God at work within us and that we
are not a finished product but rather a work in progress? 3) Coping with our “weaknesses” provides
opportunities to grow and become more the people that God intended us to be. So maybe we should recognize our individual
weaknesses as also being gifts and ask Him to help us use these weaknesses to
serve a purpose in our spiritual growth as well as assisting the growth of
others.