Strength in Weakness: Embracing God's Grace

I’ve thought about this all week and I wanted to end this week by discussing probably my most favorite verse in the Bible;“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”2 Corinthians 12:7-10 I think there are two types of people in this world. The first don’t know that they don’t know. That was me for most of my life. I thought I knew all the answers but actually I didn’t, and on top of that I didn’t know that I didn’t know. Don’t believe me, ask my dad...ha!The second type of people are those who know they don’t know. You’ve got to embrace confusion to be one of those people. You’ve got to learn to be content not knowing. You’ve got to be able to accept your flaws and issues and just keep breathing. This is where I live now. You see, Paul is telling us in 2 Corinthians that is ok to not know and we should embrace it. He did not allow perplexing questions and difficult issues to drag him into self-pity and disappointment with God. Paul basically said he was cool with weakness, hardships, insults and persecutions because when he was weak he was strong. For the longest time, I always thought this passage basically was telling me that I may go through some hard times but I will be back on the top in no time. But that’s not what Paul is saying at all. Paul is not enduring a temporary weakness in order to enjoy an unending strength. He’s arrived at a drastic conclusion, one that I was never comfortable with. He’s saying, “I’ve come to the place where I’m absolutely powerless, and I’m content to stay here as long as I live.” Paul even says, “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses” Do you see it? Paul the great apostle acknowledges that he’s got issues; he owns them when he says, “my weaknesses.” But he chooses to embrace them and just keeps loving and serving Jesus despite them.In the end, Paul acknowledges his weakness is actually a gift because God’s awesome power is able to make something beautiful out of the perplexing problem he cannot solve.I have learned to own my weaknesses and embrace them. For I tell you right now, I am stronger for them by the Grace God has shown me. Be Nice. Grace Wins.