How to Live into God’s Grace and Perfecting Power
We all have something we don’t like about ourselves. We may dislike a physical feature, an inability to perform a particular task, or some quirk that ends up being fodder for constant teasing. And without fail, we all do things to mask or distract from that thing we consider less than.
For example, if you believe you aren’t a good cook, you don’t volunteer to take someone a meal or you send over pizza. Short girls tend to wear heels, and tall girls tend to wear flats. I’m terrible at applying eye makeup. I just don’t get it. Plus, with my glasses, I don’t think anyone can see eye makeup if I had it on. However, I do wear lipstick. And I admit, I started wearing lipstick to distract from the fact that I don’t have on eye makeup.
Dealing with our Less-Than Issues
For many of us, we generally accept the parts of us we find less than and soldier on. We aren’t hindered by those particular characteristics. As a short girl, I’ve learned how to climb shelves at the grocery store or become very friendly with a nearby tall shopper.
However, I also am very aware that I have gotten quiet in a conversation, declined an invitation, or backed away from participating because I felt less than. I mistakenly believed that whatever I didn’t like about myself defined who I am. I assumed others were so mortified, or would be horrified, over what I didn’t like about myself that I was therefore worthless. Ever been there?
Boasting in One’s Weakness?
In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul says he will only boast in his weaknesses. Most of us don’t live with that particular philosophy! Paul does admit he’s a smart guy with an enviable skill set. However, he introduces the issue of “a thorn in the flesh.” He doesn’t identify what the thorn is, but this thorn torments him. I imagine the torment could be similar to what we experience when we dwell on our less than characteristics.
“Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.’ Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.”
2 Corinthians 12:8-9, CSB
We want to Be Enough
If you are like me or Paul, you’ve pleaded with God to remove what you see as a thorn in your flesh. We imagine life would be so much better if we didn’t have to contend with this element that is less than ideal. I’m sure I have attempted to convince God I would be a better servant without a particular characteristic, limitation, or circumstance.
And God has told me, just as He told Paul, my grace is sufficient. Many of us believers have quoted this verse to ourselves and others. However, too often, we read the verse and believe God will give us His grace, His favor, and He’ll fix what is less than in our lives.
We imagine our less-than-ideal characteristic will magically change and become acceptable. Or we wait expectantly for God to give us something which will compensate for what we aren’t good at. Some of us will go to great lengths to alter our “thorn,” believing God will enable us to be successful and that will be His grace to us. We translate the verse to mean that since God favors us, He will make us to be enough.
God’s Perfected Power
We misinterpret the first half of the verse because we don’t understand the second half of the verse. How does God’s power become perfect? Isn’t His power already perfect? Can God’s power become more perfect? Wouldn’t the best idea be to make us perfect?
The word for perfect in this verse is the Greek word “teleo.” This word means finished, complete, or fulfilled. In other words, God’s power completes what we cannot. God fills in the gap that our weakness leaves behind. He says that He, Himself, is enough for us; we don’t have to be perfect because God will step in and finish what we are unable to do.
The Benefit of the Weakness
God never says He will change our circumstance. He didn’t change Paul’s circumstance. When we read 2 Corinthians 12:10, we gain the impression Paul’s thorn remained.
“I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size – abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so, the weaker I get, the stronger I become.”
2 Corinthians 12:10, The Message
Paul stopped relying on himself and focused on God. He changed his perspective! Paul no longer saw his thorn as a big problem, now he viewed it as a gift. God in His grace favored Paul enough to teach him humility. God transformed Paul from a man who needed to measure up, be perfect, and do it all, to a man who trusted and relied on the Sovereign King who overwhelmingly loved him.
God is Enough
Do you remember the story of the boy who gave his five loaves and two fish to Jesus? Jesus took what the boy offered, as less than as it was, and multiplied it to feed a crowd of thousands. God does the same for us because His power is teleo. He takes what we offer and He adds His power. God completes who we are and what we are incapable of doing so that it is always enough for what is needed.
Living into God’s Grace
How do we practically live out this verse? We’ve all tried repeating to ourselves “His grace is enough, His grace is enough,” and still felt less than.
- Be honest with yourself, God, and others if necessary. None of us is perfect; not one of us can do it all. We all struggle and it’s really okay. Own your area of struggle, your thorn in the flesh.
- Make sure you are seeking a Kingdom perspective and not what our culture would say is the ideal. Set aside social media expectations, the need to measure up, and all the things that just make us feel comfortable.
- Ask God to help you see His perspective. Where is He moving? How might He be transforming you? What characteristic has He already revealed about Himself?
Whether you are dealing with a circumstance that is leaving you weak, or you look in the mirror and just don’t like who you see, God’s grace is enough because God is always enough. Jeremiah said, “[God] made the earth by His power, established the world by His wisdom, and spread out the heavens by His understanding.” (Jeremiah 10:12, CSB) We serve a God is more than able. He is the Sovereign King and Creator. And He favors us who call Him Lord with His presence and power.
Girl in Mirror Photo by Negar Nikkhah on Unsplash
