We live in a time where weakness is not a favorable trait. We do our best to hide or downplay our weaknesses and paint ourselves in the best light to others. Even when we are among other believers, say for example, when we pray. We can put up this facade of greatness because we are saying beautiful or powerful or intelligent words. We forget that there is no such thing as super Christians, there is only wretched creatures in need of a Saviour and it is only because of our Saviour that we are adopted into the family of God Almighty. We are merely undeserved recipients of a great mercy granted to us by God in His sovereignty. It is this same mighty God that we cannot hide from and we cannot hide from ourselves. We are weak and that is actually a good thing. What if I told you that God creates weakness in us for our benefit and that we should not be ashamed of our weaknesses but appreciate them?
When things are going well, we are tempted to forget how dependent we are upon God for anything and everything, including our next breath. Our weakness reminds us that we depend on God and his providence. Thank The Lord Almighty that we can depend on He who is limitless and perfect, who died for us and is seated at the right-hand of God The Father with our eternal destiny securely in His faithful hands, who loves us with a tenderness and fierceness that is permanent and never leaves or forsakes us.
“And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” (Deuteronomy 6:10-12)
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and he exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (Hebrews 1:3)
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
Weakness reminds us that we deserve wrath, but received grace and continue to receive grace moment by moment. God did not send His only begotten Son to die on our behalf in order to merely dispense mercy. Jesus was the embodiment of mercy. Jesus is the Mercy of God made human. That gracious gift of Mercy embodied had substituted Himself to pay the penalty of our transgressions against God, not that Jesus turned into a sinful being the moment He drank the full cup of The Father’s wrath on the cross, but He became sin by virtue of The Father executing rightful justice onto His Son, treating Jesus as if He were us but because Jesus is the perfect spotless Lamb, His sacrifice on the altar of The Cross was sufficient and efficient to atone for our sins forever.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—” (Ephesians 2:4-5)
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” 2 Corinthians 5:21
Sometimes our weakness is our unbelief. We get impatient and fail to put our full trust in God’s power, wisdom, goodness, timing. Even in that weakness He is perfect in His faithfulness.
“If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1–5)
In conclusion, God creates weakness in us to purify our hearts and to glorify Him — so that we can remember that we need Him, that we can trust Him, that He cares, that He moves mightily in our weakness, and so we can remember that this life is temporal, a vapor, and therefore a light momentary affliction.
“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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-11)
“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,” (2 Corinthians 4:17)
Questions to ask yourself:
- How exactly has God created weakness in your life for your purification and for His glory?
- How did Jesus, in His ministry and crucifixion, handle fleshly weakness? What did He do when he was mocked, heckled by Pharisees, betrayed, tired, sorrowful, etc.?
Prayer Prompt:
Lament on the weaknesses of your life and give those burdens to God. As you leave that weight at the foot of The Cross, ask God to help you remember the eternal weight of glory that in embodied in Jesus, your ultimate treasure.