As we draw closer to Jesus we soon come to realize that living the Christian life often requires us to do things that are opposite to what the world is doing. For example we are told to deny the flesh and put to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:13), while the world tells us to indulge the flesh. Society also tells us that it’s sometimes OK to lie, while the Bible calls all lying a sin. I like what John MacArthur says on this point: “Truth has no degrees or shades. A half-truth is a whole lie, and a white lie is really black.”1 And while most of us would rather receive gifts, the Bible tells us it is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35).
And that brings us to the title of today’s devotion for we read: in (2 Corinthians 12:10): “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.” To most people being weak is not a quality that we should strive for. In fact, being strong is a trait that society envies. But in the kingdom of God just the opposite is true; and for good reason.
Pastor Erwin Lutzer shares great insight on this point when he said: “You become stronger only when you become weaker. When you surrender your will to God, you discover the resources to do what God requires.”2 Most people think it is a sign of weakness when we surrender to another person. But surrendering our will and our life to Jesus allows us to break the stronghold of pride that so many of us struggle with. Not only that but when we do surrender everything to God, He makes available to us His unlimited resources and power to face every challenge head-on in the awesome strength of the Lord.
To the world we appear to be using Jesus as a crutch to lean on. To those that are not so kind, we are not only considered weak but foolish. Little do they understand that our depending on Lord allows us to exchange our weakness for His strength and thus we become towers of strength, equipped to handle any and all trials and challenges that come our way. And this to me shows us that our weakness is the pathway to true strength in Christ.
My friends the Christian walk is one that is filled with many paradoxes. So the next time someone tells you that when you surrender you lose, tell them that in the economy of God when we surrender to Christ we actually win! And in return for giving up our old nature we get a new nature that has the capacity to experience true peace and joy – things that the old man could never obtain. I for one am so glad I surrendered all to Christ – for when I am weak I am strong in Christ!