I don’t wear
many tee shirts. That doesn’t mean that
I don’t have quite the collection. I
think I have 10-15 VBS shirts. Coming in close behind my VBS shirts are my
Marine Corps shirts.
I have one
that says pain is weakness leaving the body. That’s a good macho shirt
that conveys the mindset of an overcomer. We like victory. We like to win.
It’s a corollary
of the more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war. We
understand pain is weakness leaving the body. It helps us press on when
our bodies say that’s enough.
I embraced
this mantra for years but these days I still have pain but I don’t think
pressing on using my own devices got rid of the weakness or trouble or
hardship.
It seems
like I still have the pain and the weakness.
What kind of deal is that?
Let’s go
straight to verse 10.
That is
why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in
persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul wanted
some pain or condition or affliction removed. He asked God, repeatedly and God’s
answer was one that we know well.
My grace is sufficient for you.
That was not
the answer Paul hoped for, but his response revealed that God does work with us
in this world as we go through:
· Weakness
· Insults
· Hardship
· Persecution
· Other difficulties
When you
made your to-do list for today or tomorrow or Thursday next week, I am confident
that none of you put insults or hardship or pain on your list.
When you
made your bucket list for this life, who put persecution on it?
Last week we
talked about doing what God told us to do even when we don’t like it. Today, we
look at dealing with our personal circumstances when God tells us that he is
not answering our prayer in the way we want.
How do we
deal with my grace is enough? How did Paul?
He delighted
in his weakness and in the insults hurled his way and in whatever difficulties
confronted him for when he was weak, God’s strength came to dwell in him.
Can we
delight in our difficulties? Really, can
we do what James
proffered when we face trials of all kinds. Can we consider these attacks and affliction
and difficulties as pure joy in a world hat sees things differently?
· The world says a good life is one
without trouble. It’s walking on the sunny side of the street.
· The world says that you can do
without God. Be the numero uno in your own life.
· The world says moan, groan, and cry
unfair when things don’t go your way.
· We know that there will be
trouble in this world but that Christ has overcome the world for us.
· We know that trouble will come and go
but we cannot move forward into real growth without God.
· We know not to complain about everything
that seems to be going wrong, but to rejoice in it for it is but another
opportunity to see God’s strength.
So where
does that leave us?
· If you are alive, you will have pain.
· If you still have a heartbeat, you
will have trouble in the world.
· If you are doing what God told you to
do, you will have some persecution.
· If you speak the truth in love, you
will receive insults in return on some occasions.
But know
that in all of our weaknesses and afflictions, God hears our prayers. Sometimes
he removes the problem, accelerates the healing, or comforts us in affliction.
But
sometimes, he says my grace is enough. I’m not taking this pain away. I’m
not fixing the problem the way you asked. You get to keep that thing you
consider hardship for a while longer or maybe all the days of your life.
Sometimes,
God says my grace is sufficient. My grace is all that you need.
Are we up to
responding as Paul did?
That is
why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in
persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Think on
these words as you approach your life and your world.
My grace is sufficient for you.
Let us learn
to rejoice in our weaknesses!
Amen.
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