Why Hide Our Weaknesses?

Although I have already written on this topic, I feel as though it is so important that I wanted to write about it again. 2 Corinthians 12:9 states, “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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me (NIV).” This has become a life verse for me over the past year, because the message that it offers is so important as we grow in our relationship with God. Look, we can all admit that we sin...a lot. The question is, why? Due to Adam and Eve and the fall, we all were born with a sin nature, which is basically the idea that we are all born sinners. In each of us are things that cause us to ‘slip up’ in some areas of life more often than others, which we would consider to be called weaknesses. We all have them due to our sin nature. A lot of times, we hear people say stuff like, “Why did God put _____ in my life if He knew that I’d obsess over it, and ruin my life?” The way I see it, and hope that your heart will be open to considering this way of thinking, is that we should be thankful for our weaknesses. It may sound confusing, because why would I thank God for something that pulls me away from Him? The whole reason it is called a weakness is because it is something that we cannot overcome on our own, but that is the point. Do you ever feel so broken in your sin and say, “God, I cannot do this on my own. I need You to carry me out of this situation.” If so, then you are accomplishing exactly what my point is. When we are dealing with weaknesses, which is all the time, instead of trying to get past it by ourselves, claiming that, “I can do this”, let’s ask the Lord to save us and pull us through. Can He not save us? Has He not already saved us? Is He not saving us right now? His grace is more than enough, that even in our weaknesses, our lowest seasons, His power is made perfect, that we should be showing off our weaknesses (!) so that His power may rest in us. Wow. If that doesn’t change your perspective of your struggles, then I don’t know what else will.

- Jack Hilsher

Isaiah 40:29-31 (NIV)

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”