Thomas J Parlette
“Power Made Perfect in Weakness”
2nd Corinthians 12: 2-10
7/4/21
Today our nation celebrates Independence Day which commemorates the day that the 13 original colonies joined together to declare their independence from Great Britain. In fact, the first time we were ever referred to as the “United States of America” was in the Declaration of Independence, which was accepted by the leadership of the 13 colonies on July 4th, 1776. July 3rd, we were a collection of colonies, subject to rule from Great Britain. July 4th, we were the United States of America. That’s why we call July 4th the birthday of our nation. So I hope you take some time today to recognize and give God thanks for the blessings we enjoy as a nation.
Of course, no holiday would be as much fun without a blooper somewhere along the way. Like the young fellow who was asked to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at his school’s assembly, and he got all flustered and blurted out, “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one naked individual with liberty and justice for all.” – instead of one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Unfortunate in front of an assembly of grade school children. Well, one naked individual may be too much liberty for some of us, but I’m sure the young fella’s heart was in the right place, even though his tongue let him down.(1)
I hope we can all take some time today to consider what virtues make our nation strong, and what obstacles make us weak, and what part each of us can play in building a nation that will last another 245 years.
Of course, there are some well-meaning people who believe that pointing out any weakness in our republic is unpatriotic. They are like the business owner who would not allow his wife or any of his employees to point out any of his shortcomings. And so, he went to a formal company banquet where he was asked to say a few words. There he stood before a large group of his employees and their spouses for 30 minutes with a large piece of lettuce stuck firmly between his two front teeth. Everyone saw it, but none of them had the courage to draw it to his attention. Sometimes the person who points out our weaknesses to us is our most valuable friend.
And that’s what todays passage from 2nd Corinthians is all about – weaknesses, personal weaknesses. We all have them. It doesn’t matter what image we present to the world. It doesn’t matter how much money we have in our bank account. It doesn’t matter what degree or title we have at work. We all have weaknesses. The problem is that we live in a prosperous, image driven society. Nobody puts their weaknesses on Facebook, or Instagram or Snapchat. We only put our best, most airbrushed image out there. The last thing we want our friends to see is our flaws.
Some of our weaknesses are physical, some are mental, some are moral. Some of those weaknesses have to do with our work, some with our family life, some with our relationship with God. Some of us have short tempers, others of us struggle with depression or anxiety. Some of us are too proud, others of us lack a back bone – we give in too quickly. But all of us are weak in some area of our life.
Paul was no exception, he certainly had his weaknesses. One in particular caused him much heartache. We don’t know for certain what it was. He called it his “thorn in the flesh.” Some scholars have suggested that Paul may have suffered from epileptic seizures. Maybe – if so, he was in good company. Two of the most powerful men who ever lived – Julius Caesar and Napoleon – were epileptics, as have been many other great individuals though history. In Paul’s day there was no medication to control seizures. You just had to deal with them. And that may have been Paul’s thorn.
So Paul prayed that God would deliver him from his affliction. Three times he beseeched God about this matter, but God’s answer was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Let me say that again. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” In other words, God seemed to be saying to Paul, “Trust me, I will take care of you. And I can use your weakness to demonstrate my power.”
We can all learn from Paul’s experience. Paul not only learned to accept his thorn in the flesh, he even began to boast about his weakness in order to show the power of Christ. Our weakness, whatever it may be, can become our strength if we commit it to God.
Our weakness can become a strength, first of all, if it causes us to grow. When we can grow beyond fear, beyond self-centeredness, beyond immaturity – then we can reflect God’s glory. God’s glory may shimmer in our strengths, but it shines in our weaknesses. When others see us grow in patience, wisdom, courage and faith through our heartaches, that’s when God’s glory shines a light into the hearts and minds of others around us. That’s what causes them to say, “I see God in you, I want what you have.”
Some of you probably remember the tennis superstar Arthur Ashe. A much-respected man, Ashe – while still at the height of his career – contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion during heart surgery. Fellow athletes admired Ashe for his skill and class on the court. But the world came to admire him even more for his courage in facing this tragic illness which led to his untimely death.
In an interview, Ashe once commented, “If I asked, “Why me?” about my troubles, I would have to ask “Why me?” about my blessings. Why me winning Wimbledon? Why me marrying a beautiful, gifted woman and having a wonderful child. Why me?”(2)
Arthur Ashe understood that God uses both our joys and our sorrows to grow us into people that reflect God’s glory, character and priorities. As someone has said, our disappointments are God’s appointments. By God’s grace, painful experiences or situations can help us grow.
Our weaknesses can also become our strengths if they make us more determined to give our best in all circumstances. Remember, your life is not just about you. If you believe in God as your Creator, then you know that God has made you for a greater purpose than your own happiness and comfort. When people look at you, at your character and your choices and your priorities and your actions, they should see the power and truth and love and wisdom of God. Other people should feel some impact from your life. They should be inspired or comforted or challenged or changed because of their contact with you. So how you choose to respond to your weakness matters.
Bethany Noel Murray is an artist from Boston, Massachusetts. Her paintings look like fantasies of magical forests filled with light and color and strange shapes. Fans of her work describe it as like looking at a beautiful landscape through a kaleidoscope.
The secret to Murray’s unique and beautiful paintings lies in the pain that she suffers. Bethany Noel Murray has suffered from chronic migraines for over 20 years. In addition to the intense pain of the headaches, she also experiences sensitivity to light and sound, and distortions in her vision during a migraine. Rather than give up her art and hide in bed, Murray turns her pain into beauty. As she says, “My paintings have been proof to me of what I experience during an attack, and despite the pain, I’ve made the choice to see the good, the weird and the beautiful.”(3)
God may shimmer in our strengths, but God shines in our weakness – if we let our weakness lead us to grow and if it causes us to give our best effort in all circumstances.
Our weakness can also become a strength if it helps us change our life’s course. Sometimes what seems a weakness is only a signal that we are pursuing the wrong path.
One of the most revealing lines in literature appears in the opening paragraph of A.A. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh.” Milne writes: “Here is Edward Bear coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way… if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it.”
If you keep bumping your head coming down the stairs, maybe it’s time you stop for a moment and think if there is another way it might be done. Sometimes our so-called weaknesses are simply warning signs to us that we are on the wrong path.
Since today is the day we celebrate our Independence, I thought I might tell a story about one of the best-known figures in the battle for Independence. He was a man who needed to begin again. His name was Patrick Henry. I’ve always had a soft spot for Patrick Henry since I once made a diorama of him in 6th grade . Ahh… Diaroma’s- remember those.
Even though Patrick Henry has been revered for most of our history as a patriot and orator, for years of his life, Patrick Henry was a failure. He and his brother opened a store, but it failed. Next Patrick’s father-in-law set him up in farming, gave him 300 acres, a house and 6 slaves. Yes, that’s right, Patrick Henry was a slave owner. He is best known for saying “Give me liberty or give me death”, but he also owned 6 individuals. I guess the liberty of which he spoke didn’t apply to them. Some of our ancestors had this blind spot – and we are still paying for those sins today, 245 years later.
In spite of his Father-in-law’s efforts, however, Patrick Henry also failed as a farmer. Finally, on the advice of some friends, Patrick turned to the law. He was a natural persuader and a captivating speaker. As a lawyer, Patrick was an instant success. Furthermore, his was exactly the voice that was needed to launch the colonies toward a break with England. “Give me liberty or give me death”, became the rallying cry for the American Revolution. Though he shared a glaring and regrettable weakness with many of our ancestors, Patrick Henry was not a failure. He was simply in the wrong field for much of his life.(4)
Finally, and most important of all, our weaknesses may become strengths if they remind us of our dependence on God. Paul says, “Look at me. I once persecuted the church. Look at me, a man who has to battle this humiliating affliction – this thorn in the flesh. Yet Christ has used me to plant churches all over the known world.” Paul was a man of tremendous intellect. He was also a man of unquestionable persuasive powers. Perhaps if it had not been for his thorn in the flesh, he would have leaned on his own ability rather than the power of God working through him. And you and I would never have heard the name of Paul. His weakness became his strength. His scar became a star. His hurt became a halo. And the same thing can happen to us – if our weakness helps us to grow, if our weakness makes us more determined to succeed, if our weakness causes us to try new things, and if our weakness causes us to rely on God.
God has the power, authority and mercy to answer our every prayer and take away our every weakness. God could make our life as smooth and comfy as a velvet blanket. So why doesn’t God do that? Because our life is meant to be a reflection of God’s love and power. And God’s power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, let us boast of our weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on us. For when we are weak, then we are strong. For as Paul says, “God’s power is made perfect in weakness.”
May God be praised. Amen.
1. Dynamic Preaching, Vol. XXXVII, No. 2, pg47.
2. Ibid… p48.
3. Ibid… p49.
4. Ibid… p49.
