From "I Know" to Bowing Low
We live in a world that doesn't prize weakness. A world that doesn't see weakness as an opportunity for growth but a catalyst to failure. Weakness in others is a place we tend to poke at, point out, and sometimes use to help puff us up so that our own weakness can't be seen by others. Masking our weakness has become an art form for us. If seen it would reveal our vulnerability, our shortcomings, our lacking and in the world we live in it would negatively affect the way people looked at us.
We have a family member who is difficult to try and explain things to, to teach things to, to point things out to that they need to get done. Their response is almost always the same, "I know!" It is usually said with a short frustrated tone and spoken before you actually even finish what you are trying to say. It's pride. They don't like to appear as if they don't know or as if they need help. This makes sense as this person lives in the world I described above: a proud, I can do it, weakness is failure world attitude. The problem is they never have a chance to really grow, to really excel in an area because their pride is enough for them to appear able. They might have an understanding but if they would listen they would have a chance to grow, to learn, and to be amazed at how much more there is for them to truly understand, how much more they could do.
In 2 Corinthians Paul speaks about delighting in weakness, boasting about his own weakness. In our world today this is just madness speaking. This is polar opposite to what we strive for in our world. In yesterday's reading, Paul listed all the areas of accomplishment that he had achieved, all his worldly successes and areas of strength. If ever there was a man alive who could use the phrase "I Know" and mean it and get away with it, it would have been Paul. Yet for all his worldly success he brings himself low, to a place of humbleness and speaks about his weakness. He doesn't tell us what that weakness is (it doesn't matter because what he says next speaks to all and any weakness we may have). What he tells us is that when we recognize our weakness, we accept it, and we don't run from it but we acknowledge it, embrace it, and bring it to the Lord then something beautiful and complete occurs; God has an opportunity to shine through us and receive the glory due him.
"I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me (Paul praying about his area of weakness). But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12: 8-9
You see God uses our weakness as a way to show others his power and his glory. It is an opportunity for others be encouraged in their place of weakness, to not feel alone. When the world praises the accomplishments of man the glory goes to man. It is seen as an act of his own accomplishments. But when we allow people to know our weakness and we don't step away from that area but say to the Lord, "I need you, I can not do this on my own, I do not have the ability in and of myself", when we acknowledge our need for the Lord to be our strength He will step in and provide what we lack. Will it be perfection? No, not according to the world's standards, per se, but it will be perfectly what the Lord wanted it to be because it will be done with a heart that is humble and trusting and satisfied in the Lord.
What is the blessing, how do I delight in exposing this weakness I have? I get to experience the power of God working in my life and through my life.
"For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10
I get to feel the true power and strength of God working in my life. It is a freedom in life that breaks the chains of perfection the world calls me to and lets me experience the fullness of God in my life. I humbly give God my weakness and in return I receive his power and strength, it's a win win for me!!!
Don't get me wrong. I don't think Paul was saying this to give us the green light to laziness. No, it was giving us the the green light to bow low and say Lord I don't know, I need you, teach me, guide me, build me up and be my source of power and strength as I learn and grow. I believe it was his way of saying don't let your weakness stop you from serving. Don't let people poke at your weakness and tell you that you aren't good enough. Admit your weakness and trust in the Lord to provide what you lack as you seek to grow. God's grace will be there for you as you need it in your journey and it will be enough. Remember God doesn't tend to call the equipped he equips the called: a shepherd became king (David). a farmer became a carpenter (Noah), A murderer became a leader (Moses), a peasant girl became a queen (Ester), a virgin became the mother of the Jesus (Mary), and a persecutor of the early church became one of it's founding members (Paul)
I want to encourage each of us to stop poking at our and others weaknesses. To remember that it is not about us getting the glory and praise but letting people see our weakness (and the weakness of others) and then passing the glory and praise to where it always belongs: To the Lord. Don't be afraid to be humble, that is where the Lord is waiting to meet you.
When the Lord calls will you say "I know" or will you choose to Bow Low?
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