“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”” 2 Corinthians 12:9
My son recently competed at the NCFCA Idaho Open Tournament. I have come to anticipate being blessed by these competitions and once again I was not disappointed.
I had the privilege of watching the crisp intellect of youth being prepared for Kingdom service as teenagers hone their debating skills.
I was entertained by the creativity of students who take familiar tales and re-imagine them into something fresh and engaging. I wait in anticipation to see how this creativity will display the glory of God to an unbelieving generation.
I was delighted by all the speeches that persuaded and informed me. I know there will be a day when these students’ love of God will be as effectively communicated for a reward far beyond a temporal medal.
However, I was moved to tears by the students competing in apologetics. I had to hide my eyes as emotions welled within them when a gaggle of teenagers noisily passed me on their way to a speech round. They thoughtlessly carried these inexpensive boxes of plastic and cardboard as they chattered excitedly with one another. I love those boxes. Actually, I love the treasure contained within each and every one of those boxes. It is a treasure that exceeds the value of all the diamonds within De Beer’s vaults. These boxes contain the hours of time spent before open Bibles and theological books. It contains the months of the Spirit of God leading, guiding, and teaching my younger brothers and sisters in Christ.
These boxes hold the notes of answers to 106 apologetic questions. They contain the word of God applied to many of the difficult objections posed by those who oppose our faith. Those boxes are sheaths to swords that are as real as any ever wielded by William Wallace and these students are learning how to rightly handle the word of God. It is a wonderful thing to watch.
I love to watch it all. I am always filled with optimism in how the Lord will use this generation. They have so many strengths and talents. Surely, God has raised them up for great things. The future seemed bright as I guided our mini-Van away from the tournament into the tunnel through the late night darkness that the headlights created.
I was reminded within the midst of my admiration of the skills and talents of those students of the mysterious balance between the use of our gift and and the recognition of our utter weakness. God uses those who have learned to live in human weakness to accomplish spiritual greatness despite our abundance or lack of talent.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Charles H. Spurgeon learned that lesson. C.H. Spurgeon was an amazingly gifted orator. You are not called the “prince of preachers” without being a good speaker. Yet, this is what had to say about weakness:
The way to grow strong in Christ is to become weak in yourself. God pours no power into man’s heart till man’s power is all poured out. The Christian’s life is one of daily dependence on the grace and strength of God.
Spurgeon could have won many speech competitions but that was not what made him strong in Christ. He became weak in himself. Therefore, I prayed for all those gifted competitors who walked across the stage to accept awards at the NCFCA Idaho Open. I praised God that they won. I prayed that He would protect them from the pride and over-confidence in their relative strengths that applause can bring. I prayed that God would reveal to them the weaknesses that are within them. I prayed that God would lovingly wash their weakness over them so that they would know that only His grace is sufficient for them. I prayed that their accomplishment, combined with the knowledge of their weakness would drive them to their knees in prayers of thanksgiving and acknowledgment that true power comes only in a life lived in humble weakness for Christ alone.
John Knox knew the lesson of weakness. He was a small and feeble man, who ran from the room the first time he was asked to preach in public. His experience as a slave in a French galley, chained to a bench with six other men pulling a fifty-foot-long oar, left him with a weak and broken body for the rest of his life. Yet, John Knox knew that his strength did not come from his natural abilities. God’s power was made perfect in John Knox’s weakness as it drove him to his knees in prayer. The weakness of John Knox made him such a man of prayer that Mary, Queen of Scotland said,
I fear John Knox’s prayers more than an army of ten thousand men.
John Knox probably would never have won a speech competition but he was greatly used by God. Therefore, I praised God for all those competitors who did not win. I praised God that they did not walk across that stage to accept an award. I prayed that they would not be lost to despondency but rather the revelation of their weakness would humble them and drive them to a life of prayer and reliance upon their Lord and not their talents and strengths. I thanked God for afflicting their self-esteem, revealing their utter and complete need for a Savior. I prayed that their failures would reveal sin in their hearts and that our Lord would remind them that His grace is more sufficient than any trophy or medal, that He does not need the strength of a debate or speech champion, and that His power will still be made complete in the weakness of a competitor who never won a round. I prayed that all those who lost would know the power of God being perfected within them in whatever manner that God chooses to reveal their weaknesses to them. I prayed that their defeats in speech and debate would be used to prefect their hearts in Christ.
I thanked God for my own weaknesses. I praised Him for how I have been humbled from my altars of pride and self-worship. I worshiped Him for my fears and afflictions because they have driven me to call upon my God and Savior for comfort and support. I praised him for my victories and accomplishments because I know that they were only of Him. I savored the flavor of my failures because they enable me to whole heartedly proclaim from experience,
“My God’s grace is sufficient for me.”
PRAYER: O Lord, thank you for using the weak. We are all weak before you. Thank you for showing us our weakness. Thank you for using the weak to glorify your name. Father, help me to live in humility. Forgive me of my pride and my confidence in my own ability. Forgive me for not coming to you in prayer and relying upon your strength. Your grace is sufficient for me. Lord, perfect your power in me by keeping me weak. I pray this in the precious name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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