What scriptures do you dislike? Here’s one I wish was different: “Therefore, in order to keep me (Paul) from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 Nobody knows exactly what that thorn was–physical, emotional, spiritual. And we all have various kinds of weaknesses.
I’m developing a new retreat. This morning, I woke up early with some ideas to expand the basic concept. That was God. By myself, I get stuck on the core idea, with little sense of how to expand the focus. I know it needs expansion and to be viewed from several different angles, but it is one of my weaknesses as a developer to actually be able to see the related concepts.
Even using a number of helps–mind-mapping, mining my own story, and reading others’ explorations of the topic, I still feel stuck sometimes. I’d much rather be full of ideas, able to see the relationships between them and able to grasp what needs to be included. But that is a request for a different kind of intelligence than God has given me. I have a weakness in this area.
How do you feel about that idea, that God’s power is made perfect in our weaknesses? Are you comfortable with that? Good! I’m working on it. I’m grateful for this morning’s input. Whether I like it or not, I depend on his help.
But is dependence easy for any of us? Independence is the familiar sin. Our primeval parents said, “No, God, I’m not going to listen to you. This snake here has a better idea.”
But it is God’s idea that we are dependent beings. That feels like weakness to us. We prefer conceit. But we are made for his glory (Isaiah 43:7).
Yes. So be it.
Father, show your glory through us today!