Strength in our weaknesses

https://odb.org/MY/2023/04/03/finding-strength-in-god

In relating with God, there is always this tension between relying on our own strength and gaining God’s strength in our weaknesses. When do we rely on God, and when do we use our own talents and gifts as the latter are also God-given?

Two Sundays ago, I had preached a message on Paul and Acts 9, and a comment I received was that God usually uses us based on our availability and not so much on our talents and giftings. That is true, and availability must be a prerequisite in our service. If we don’t make ourselves available, God can never use us. And yet, when we say availability, it means more. It means that despite our weaknesses, if we are available, God will perfect us our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 9:12).

However, when we compare Paul against Peter, John and James, we will see that Paul was uniquely positioned to reach out to the Gentiles being a learned Hebrew person raised in a Greek-speaking world immersed in Greek thought and culture. Thus, we can be called and chosen based on our strengths and giftings and experience in the world and ministry, and also, most of all that we are today were knitted together by God Himself to create a unique ‘you’ that will be the square peg to the square hole in His Kingdom of Grace.

However, as we read 2 Corinthians 9, we realise that Paul himself is not without weaknesses. That is not unexpected as we are all humans living in a broken world. The world to come as revealed in Revelation 21 is our ultimate destination, but until then, we need to accept and deal with our own imperfections. That is why we are made perfect by God in our weaknesses. It is in our weaknesses that we can see God working. Despite our weaknesses, God can use us.

For example, there are many preachers who are gifted in expressing words and in presentation; funny and entertaining and yet enriching. But I’m neither all that. Yet I have been called to preach from the pulpit. I can only be myself with my own weaknesses in speech and presentation. But the beauty of all this is that God can perfect me in my weakness, and it works the best in the context of preaching because ultimately, after all the theatrics, it is the message from God that really matters. The life of God that we bring to the pulpit, our sincerity, our effort, and our preparation – that will count for more in the spiritual realm than the human talent and skill of a preacher.

We all have weaknesses. But if we wait until we are perfect to serve God, we will not get to start. The idea is to serve God despite our weaknesses and see God perfecting us in our weaknesses. In fact, as we rely on the Lord in our weaknesses, Jesus will transform us from within and make us a better person in the process – a person with more love, compassion, grace, and forgiveness.

Start today, and do something for God. Take up a role in church or a ministry. Volunteer our time and service. Play music in our cell group. Lead worship. Be an usher. Get involved in the audio-visual ministry. Help out in Zoom. There are lots to do in the Kingdom of God!