While we are weak, God is still strong

Paul writes in his second letter to the church in Corinth, chapter 12 about that fact that God put a thorn in Paul's flesh in order to stop him boasting about his experiences. After Paul pleads with God three times in verse 8 for God to take it away, this is the response of God:

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." And Paul concludes in verse 10: "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

We are weak people. We are not strong enough to face the world alone. We try to of course, and speaking as a man here, we hate to be wrong, to appear weak in front of others, be it other men, or indeed in front of women. Men have an inbuilt, sinful desire to be top, and not appear weak. I hate looking weak, so I and I'm sure many others are prone to arrogance.

When we are battered by the sin and suffering around us, and feel like we cannot go on, we need to remember the words of God in verse 9. For His grace is sufficient for us. He works through our weaknesses for His glory. When we suffer, God is working, when we are tired, God is working, when we are happy, God is working. God, in His mercy, is always working in our lives.

So students, when you feel tired from all your work, and feel like avoiding questionairring and flyering for a lunchbar, or chatting to a friend about Jesus, don't. For God uses our weaknesses, and the devil would love nothing more than for you to lie down, admitting defeat and not getting God's Word out to the campus.

So men, when you feel so scared of exposing yourself as weak, remember you are weak, and God still uses you.

Praise be to the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who in His mercy has saved us, undeserving as we are, by His grace alone, and uses us, weak, sinful human beings, for His glory. After all, as Paul later writes in His letter to the Philippian church, chapter 4, verse 13 :"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."