When we are weak, His strength can shine through us.

Hey, Mike. You said it!

The reason God preferred Paul weak was because "the result is likely gonna be pride." Paul talked about the thorn in his side often, because if he wasn't "put into his place", his pride would take over and it wouldn't be for Christ's sake.

The times when we are weak are the times we call to God the most. God wants to be in a relationship with us. He wants us to talk to Him daily! If we need to be "weakened" for that to happen, He will see to it that we are.

Be strong in Christ and you will not be weak. I will praise God during my good times as well as in times of storms. I am because God is or I wouldn't be.

Oh, I can imagine the puzzlement. It's a hard concept to grasp. But pride makes us weak. Pride will cause us to do things we might not have done otherwise, say things that we might not have said otherwise, or acted as we might not have acted otherwise. But being weak, realizing our inabilities that need to be fulfilled in Christ, actually does make us strong. Because I can do all things in Christ which strengthens me.

When explaining this to kids, compare it to siblings. If one child is alone, he might not be able to do something...say move the swingset for an example. But if he weakens himself and asks his brother for help, the 2 together can move the swingset. Therefore, he is strong when he became weak.

Good luck. 

There is a story to SugarBooger thank you Mr. Mike! LOL!

Your welcome!      here's another star!

I'm weak even when I'm prideful I just don't know it :-) lol   
Being content in my weakness...wow easy to do when things go my way and very hard when they don't.  Sometimes I'm like Sarah in the old testament, I just kind of want to make God hurry... but I'm learning.

how I needed a post like this, thank you for sharing my friend.

may gods peace be with you always - Jade 

Cindy, sounds like you had a wise daddy!

Mary, weak ≠ unworthy ....AMEN!!! In our relationship w/the Lord, weak = more than worthy, and in fact we are also told we are more than conquerors! How strange is that, that by being weak we are victoriously conquering? Conquering our human nature, the "sin nature", I would imagine. Great post sister!

Glenn...hmm, the name sounds familiar, but the pic isn't one I've seen before. Oh GLENN, that's you isn't it, my friend?? (Oh friend of the fall trees!! lol) I taught my kids a long time ago that the last shall be first, and vice versa. So mine are kinda familiar with backwards sounding truths. But this is the first time I've ever addressed weak and strong, to my recollection. It looks like I'm gonna hafta spend some time on this! 

HI Carrie Ann, missed you lately! (Could never forget ya though!!!) Thanks for dropping in.

Bubbles aka Ruth, did what again? By your praises of God I trust it was good! (Thanks Father for putting nice people in my life, like "Bubbles"!! lol)

Thanks Ed! Yes, Jonathan has a great testimony! And thank YOU Jonathan for posting your comment....I am so glad to see you're doing well and sharing what the Lord is doing for you, that in itself is an answer to prayer!

Amy, thank you so much....it is great to hear from ya. Say hi to "Voice" on Sunday for me (you and I both know his name haha)!

Amen Eliza! Thanks Donna, yes I would have laughed a few years ago too. Yeah, it sounds "Christian" to say When I am weak then I am strong, but I think most of us conveniently forget this when it comes to practical application.

All of a sudden I am picturing Obi Wan Kenobi surrendering his body to Darth Vader and being slain. Obi Wan knew something about the strength he would gain through surrender....do we?

Personally, I do not find that I have strength when I am weak.

I am weak. We do not always know that we are going to come out strong on the other side.

When I was lying in my hospital bed, watching my blood pressure drop to 68/27, slipping into convulsions and beginning to lose consciousness, strength was nowhere in my thinking. What was in my thinking was my own weakness.

Blood was pouring out of my foot and the doctors couldn't stop it, not even with 2 tourniquets, direct pressure, that black powder they use on battle fields, or the white powder. 10 nurses, 2 doctors and 3 Emergency Care Technicians could not stop the blood.

I was rushed to emergency surgery and transferred onto a narrow table. As they started the conscious sedation I heard the surgeon tell the staff... "Okay, 2 tourniquets aren't stopping the blood. Any other ideas?" ...and then I slipped into oblivion.

Strength, as it turns out in most of my "weaknesses" is a silent presence that is only seen in retrospect. If I go into any situation with the realization that I'm going to make it through this and be stronger on the other side, it usually turns out to be a situation that doesn't really cause weakness, just a small trial.

Trials show us that life is difficult, but we can make it.

Weakness shows us we cannot make it. Not a chance.

======================

As

So true, So true, its when we feel strong enough without Him, that we suffer the most.... it usually ends up with a big fall.... at least it does in my case.. It is so good to revel in the total dependency of God. I may be strong in the power in of His might, but thankfully I acknowledge my own pitiful weakness for what it is... NEED... and as long as I continue to Need Him daily, He will sustain me. Great Word Mike. - tam

Yes, Mike. Blogging can be a spiritual discipline! You have to discipline yourself to look into the spiritual... read about it, think about it, understand it, and pass on your ideas about it.

Jonathan said it really well. Weakness is enduring your situations with praise. (kind of a "sum-up")

I didn't really think of it that way, until he mentioned it, but it's something that I've told my daughter. See, we have a problem in our household of not being able to keep up with the "Jones". And I've told her that even if we were financially able, we probably wouldn't, because that's not where our heart is. There are better ways to use financial success. I DO tell her that we need to praise God for what we DO have and for having each other to love. We will be stronger people because of the trials we go through. Then we head off to another mission to help others who are in worse situations than us, or have less.

It really has helped us to keep in perspective how well my 12 year old's life really is when she volunteers at homeless shelters, or stock food pantries. So sometimes, I really think "weakness" is just a perspective. Where others would see us without, hurting, and dealing with different situations as being weak people; I see us as being strong to be able to handle our situations. And of course, I could not do anything without God. He's the source of our strength!

Thanks Mike. I knew this would be a well read blog when you first posted it.

All challenges are a sign a spiritual strength, and of the readiness of the Soul to move on; to evolve even further."

So, this prompted me to do a similar blog even before I saw yours. This guy did not even quote scripture, but is not too far off the mark. Blessings!