A Prayer About Weaknesses
“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. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Heavenly Father, I totally get Martin Luther’s statement that “bad theology is the worst taskmaster of all.” For there’s so much in this one passage of Scripture that exposes and contradicts many distorted and destructive notions I used to have about the Christian life. I wasn’t raised to delight in weakness, rather to despise weakness, to deny weakness, to demonize weakness, to de-throne weakness.
It was all about “the victorious Christian life”… being “superman-Christian,”… basically a Type A personality on spiritual steroids, filled with positive confessions, and an unrealistic obsession with being in control, of myself and others. I didn’t want sufficient grace, I wanted replacement grace. What a miserable me-centered merciless myth.
How I praise you, Father, that you are actively working to bring to completion the good work you have begun in each of your children, including me. Hasten that glad Day! Until then, Jesus, please help me to delight in my weaknesses (plural). I have NEVER been more aware of being weak, of having no ability to change certain parts of my brokenness. I really am weak. Jesus, I so want your power to rest on me, I so need your power to rest on me. I am desperate for, and expectant of, sufficient grace from you.
Lastly, as you continue to humble and gentle my heart, help me be more compassionate towards others, in their weaknesses. You haven’t called me to “fix” anyone, but to love everyone. What a wonderful merciful Savior you are, Jesus. Indeed, it was because you embraced the weakness of the cross, Jesus, that I can gladly boast in the weaknesses of my life. What a most profound, liberating and hope-filled paradox. Amen