My grace is sufficient!

2 Corinthians 12:7-10...Go read it and after you've read it then continue on with my blog...


Ok have you read it? OK good...

Now, how many of you can think of something in your life that you want God to change? It could be something that has to do with your appearance or your physical build. Maybe it's that you want God to make that specific person fall in love with you or it could be that you want that person to magically fall out of love with you so you can stop worrying about the psycho phone calls and texts, ha. Maybe you want God to give you the job you've always wanted or the money to buy that house or car of your dreams. Whatever it is, you want it and you've asked God several times for it but he hasn't quite answered your plea.

What do you do when God basically says NO...no I will not make him fall in love with you...no that is not the job I will give you...no you can not have a million dollars...no, no, no, no, no! For some, they split, giving the reason why do I want a God that won't give me things that I need. For others, when God says no that is the time that they lean harder on him. Which one are you?

Now let's look at the story I asked you to read about Paul. As we learn in verse 7, Paul was given some sort of thorn in his flesh. In the New International Version Bible, scholars suggest the thorn was a physical ailment, such as an eye disease, malaria or epilepsy. Others described it as a series of failures in his ministry...Either way the Bible gives no clear evidence. Whatever it was, Paul asked...actually he pleaded for God to take it away as stated in verse 8. I can picture Paul with his hands held high, desperation on his face and maybe even a little tear or two, pleading with God, "Please lord take this from me!"

But you know what God says..."My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." ~verse 9

What does that mean you ask...well think about it this way, when do we usually become most dependent on God? When something goes wrong right...well God wanted to teach Paul about humility and grace and the dependence that we should have on God at all times. God didn't take away whatever Paul was begging for him to take, instead He gave him the strength to endure. Andy Stanley described it as God saying "I'm gonna show off in your weakness...people are going to be astonished by my power through your weak time.

The amazing thing about Paul is he never doubted! Yes he pleaded and wanted more than anything for God to take the thorn but because God said no, Paul leaned harder on Him. Think about it this way...your greatest weakness is God's greatest opportunity if you only trust Him!

If you keep reading you see that Paul took his weakness as an opportunity to become closer to God, putting all dependence on Him and showing extreme faith!

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.

God may not gives us everything we want but there is one thing we can be sure of...He will give us the strength to endure despite weakness, despite disappointment, despite the way life can be! Wow