The Purpose of Our Weakness

"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure" 2 Corinthians 12:7

Dear Friends, As I was growing up, I soon discovered how much I loved sports. Whether it was watching or playing...I was avidly involved. However, as a youth I also found out that because of a physical weakness in my joints I was not always able to keep up with the other participants like I would have liked to. The truth is, we all have one, two or more weaknesses to confront. As a young adult I took an honest look at the direction of my life and soon realized that God had a definite purpose in my physical weakness, and that was to keep my pride in check. Consider the Apostle Paul's words who reminded people that one reason for a thorn in the flesh is so that we won’t be "exalted above measure". A measure of success and honor is good for our psych, but God knows how much is too much. I have come to realize how important it is to humbly acknowledge the presence of our weaknesses and our need of God’s grace. Once I began to see the purpose of my weakness, I was able to accept God’s loving plan for my life. Some of our weaknesses are physical, others are mental and emotional. The most destructive of all weaknesses is spiritual. For example, if a person struggles with lust he or she may need to realize that the real problem is a pain down deep in the soul they are trying to cover; something that they are not allowing God to meet His way. When we give into our weakness or excuses, matters only get worse. The Apostle Paul’s wise reaction was to realize that God had a purpose in his weakness and because of that he understood that God’s strength would always be there for him. Strong in the Lord, Dr. Tim Pollock, Senior Pastor