You are weak.
Whether you care to admit it or not, know it all-too-well or are blissfully naïve, you are beset with weakness. By virtue of being human, your body tires at the end of the day, your mind fogs when the caffeine wears off, and your attention span will wane if this blog post it too long.
But some are beset by more intimate weaknesses. Some are physically weak by a chronic illness; some are weak in resources that keep them from good pursuits like education; some are weak in skills and experiences that keep them from the job they want.
For most, the sensation of weaknesses isn’t a pleasant one. We want to grow. This aching desire is compounded for Christians – people whose inherent desire is to grow in Christ (Phil. 2:12-13). Yet, we oftentimes are confused by our weaknesses. Are my weaknesses sinful? Should I seek to grow? Should I just focus on my strengths? Do I just accept my weaknesses? Or worse: do I use them as an excuse any time I want to escape a difficult situation?
What are we to do about the things we feel we cannot do anything about? Here 5 things you can do about your weakness:
- Understand the Difference Between Sinful Immaturity and Weakness. Sinful patterns in your life are meant to provoke repentance, not contentment. Your faith will stagnate if you think your flaring temper is “just one of my weaknesses.” On the opposite end, assuming you are to be strong in every area of your life will lead to a frustrating, guilt-filled, and joyless Christian life. The college girl who just “can’t stop gossiping”, and as the guy who “just can’t stop” gawking at girls are not the same as the guy who takes longer to read the chapter in that book or the girl that is not as much of a social butterfly as her friends. Understanding this difference between sinful immaturity and weakness is key.
- Hide in the Sufficiency of Jesus. When Paul faces his weakness in 2 Corinthians 12, his response is contentment. Why? Because in his weakness, Christ’s sufficiency is put on display. We often pray for God to deliver us out of our weakness, when God wants us to first learn how to be content in our weakness. You might not be growing out of your weakness precisely because God wants you to be humbled by your weakness. He wants you to find shelter in his strength. When you are weak, he is strong.
- Consider Your Weak Heritage. Christians often look at Hebrews 11 as the Hall of Faith. These are our heroes who endured until the end. But this passage is full of flawed and weak heroes who kept their faith in their God and were “made strong out of weakness” (Hebrews 11:34). Have you considered your heritage of faith? Our legacy is full of unimpressive people, beset with weakness, through whom God accomplished mighty things. Meditate on the weaknesses of God’s people, and let your faith be fueled by their strong God.
- Embrace the Diverse Body of Christ. Some of our weaknesses are not meant to be strengthened, but supplemented by other people. If you are a foot, trying to be a hand, you don’t need to grow in your footiness, you need to embrace being a hand, and let the foot make up for your inherent weakness (1 Corinthians 12:14-20). God may not want you to grow out of your weakness, but may want you to grow in your dependence on his church.
- Strengthen Your Weaknesses. Although we should be content with many of our weaknesses, some of our weaknesses should become strengths over time. When your weaknesses are exposed through a trial, a rebuke, or a new responsibility – find ways to grow. Respond in prayer, asking God for growth; respond in dependence, asking others for help. Identify any practical steps you can take to come out of weakness and into growth.
The Fertile Soil of Weakness
Paul says that he will boast “all the more gladly” of his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Why would anyone be glad in their weakness? Because when our responsibilities exceed our abilities, we can be confident that we’ve been planted deep in the fertile soil of the sufficiency of God.
So get excited and get expectant. The God of our weak forefathers is ready to display his power once again – through you.
Spencer Harmon serves as the Activities Coordinator in the office of Student Life at Boyce College. He is a M.Div. student, and a member at Immanuel Baptist Church. He’s married to Taylor, and has one daughter. You can follow him on Twitter at @SpencerMHarmon.