Admitting Weakness

Have you ever felt so weak that you could not take another step? Have you ever felt so inadequate for a task that you almost quit before you began it? Our own power is infinitesimal compared to the power of the Holy Spirit.

The apostle Paul discovered the secret of power through the Holy Spirit when he openly confessed his weaknesses instead of bragging about his own strengths.

How do we acquire the Holy Spirit’s power? First, we must admit our weaknesses, and then we must avoid our enemy’s ambushes. The apostle Paul discovered the secret of power through the Holy Spirit when he openly confessed his weaknesses instead of bragging about his own strengths.

In dealing with his thorn, Paul prayed repeatedly for God to remove this weakness in him. Yet God answered him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Through this trial, Paul learned firsthand about the power of God: "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Paul was conscious of his shortcomings and realized that he was nothing without God. He knew he did not have the power to overcome his temptations, but he knew that through God’s power, he would be victorious. Paul felt pain, sorrow, and need, yet when the power of the Holy Spirit flowed through him, he experienced joy, contentment, and peace.

Prayer: God, thank You that, like Paul, I can say, "[W]hen I am weak, then I am strong." Thank You for Your power that can work through my weaknesses. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

"For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you" (2 Corinthians 13:4).

Learn more in Dr. Michael Youssef’s sermon The Secrets of Positive Living, Part 14: LISTEN NOW

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