If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying....
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." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 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.
During a 13-hr drive to California last week, God gave me much time to think. I didn't know how much I needed this break (break from Seattle, the familiar environment). Amongst the many things, one that really stood out was how weak I am without Christ. I thought about many things that I do, or am even good at, but as I pondered on those thoughts, I realized that I am nothing without Christ. As much as I'd like to boast about abilities or talents, I realized that anything that I have were 1st Christ's; nothing that I have was not first His. My abilities, my gifts, my material things, anything, there's nothing that I can claim for myself. At first I really felt weak. Almost empty inside (the thought of not having God in my life.) But we are not meant to live without God. I realized that the talents and abilities that I have are really His, and it's a privilege to reflect Him in our lives. It's true that when I'm weak, then I'm strong, because there's nothing I can do (on my own ability) to reflect His glory more beautifully. It's only when I say, "It's all yours, God." that He can shine through. So, let we boast all the more in our weaknesses so that people know how weak we are, but how great He is! And the great part is...that we're His!
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