God's Power Made Perfect in Weakness Pt. 1

Before I dive into this post, I want to acknowledge my thanks to you all for praying for me as I underwent the magnanimous task of completing a two and a half hour long calculus exam.  Yeah, you heard it right..... two and a half hours.  I am glad it is over, but thankful that I was given the opportunity of glorifying God through studying well.  The results will be the cherry on top of the sundae.  Hopefully, it is a good grade, but I did the best I possibly could.  Thanks for your prayers.  

Now, my heart is rather tender right now partly because weakness is one of those topics that people like to shun away from.  Guys especially like to shun away from this topic, because they usually want to acknowledge to all that they can handle any situation.  Us guys have a built in pride mechanism.  We do not want people to know where or when we are weak.  We are macho.  We can do anything we set our gaze upon.  To not be labeled a chicken by our "so called" friends, we make out with the cute girl across the street or we do some other crazy thing.  On the other side of the spectrum, you may have some impediment that is holding you back from a life God has specifically, divinely planned for you, which would display His power and glory alone to unchartered lengths beyond your own comprehension.  You may even be going through a broken marriage, an ugly divorce proceeding, or you may have lost your job due to the economy.  Whatever it is, God wants to use your weaknesses, your trials, your tribulations, your calamities, your hardships solely for the purpose of displaying His power in your life.  He wants others to ask you how you are able to cope with your difficulties and are still able to carry your life on in a decent manner.  How are you able to remain joyful, most of the time, through your trials?  Why is God's power being made perfect in your weakness? 

Let's look at Christ's example.  Who did Christ minister to during his earthly life?  Sinners.  The lowest of the lows.  Tax collectors, prostitutes, orphans, widows, drunkards, drug dealers, adulterers, slanderers, lepers, the blind, the deaf, stutterers, the disabled, the openly shameful..... each and every people group of whom the world is not worthy.  But, why would the King of the universe parade through the dark streets of Jerusalem to show love, kindness, and compassion to others, instead of teaching some know-it-all Pharisees at the synagogue about the law of God with respect to following certain rituals?  Because, the broken sinners were more receptive to the Gospel than the so called know-it-all Pharisees.  The Pharisees believed that their strength in society was enough for them to be accepted into God's kingdom.  God ultimately sees their deeds over the atrocious beggar, who can't give anything for the cause of God's kingdom.  How wrong they were?  

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 sums up the wholeness of this post, "For consider your calling, brothers: not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  But God chose what is foolish in this world to shame the wise;  God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God."  Ok, God chose what is foolish in this world to shame the wise.  He chose weak vessels, he chose despised vessels, he chose hated vessels, he chose broken vessels.  He chose broken vessels in order that He might restore what is broken, He chose hated vessels in order to completely change that person in love, He chose despised vessels because they desperately need to know that the Savior of the world was despised for them.  And, He chose you, because He loves you.  He chose you, so that you would see for all of eternity the nail scarred hands of the Savior, who was bruised for you, beaten for you, tormented for you.  

Why?  Because you were weak.  He came to save the lowly.  Those who don't think they have everything altogether.  Those who have no homes--- the orphans.  Those who have broken marriages---- the divorced.  Those who see they are arrogant and are in need of a Savior.  He died for people such as these.  Now, why is God's power made perfect in weakness?  God's power is made perfect in your weakness, because He knows you need to completely rely upon Him in your weak circumstances.  Whether you rely upon Him in sharing your bouts of anger with other people or in relying upon Him to help you through a specific period of pain caused by your cancer, His power is fervently displayed in you as you continue to abide in Him through your troubles.  He knows you desperately need Him.  You can do nothing apart from Him (John 15:5).  So, abide under the shadow of His wings especially when you are weak.  He will show Himself to be powerfully strong in your life.

Now, I have laid the groundwork for the examples that I am going to share with you in Parts 2 and 3.  Who is living this out despite a constant array of trials?  What is God doing in their life?  What are their weaknesses and what are they doing to overcome them?  Stay tuned.....

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!