Finding Strength in the Weak Moments

Paul wrote about his struggles with what he called a 'thorn in the flesh'. He didn't specify what it was, but he asked God to take it away three times. Each time, God said no.

That's not what we usually hear about strength. We hear about pushing through, about being resilient, about never giving up. But Paul's story is different. He's saying that strength doesn't always mean being strong.

“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 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.”

This is a different kind of strength. It's not about being able to handle everything on your own. It's about being honest about when you can't, and trusting that God will meet you in those moments.

So what does this look like in real life? It means being willing to say 'I'm not okay' when you're not. It means asking for help when you need it, whether that's from a friend, a therapist, or a support group.