“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’” (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV).
How often in your life have you just bowed your head in desperation and said, “Lord, please help me. Please.” I’ve done it hundreds of times, probably thousands. During those times there was so much fear, so much unknown, that I couldn’t do anything but pull the emergency cord.
If we only understood that the no-strength-left giving up of all our own abilities is exactly where God wanted us in the first place. When we’re in a state of such weakness that we can’t even formulate a proper prayer, we are actually in a place of great promise. It’s where God can help us the most.
I wish I had learned this superpower of helplessness when I was young. I would have had so much more peace and confidence. I would have had more faith, more inner strength and more grace for others if I’d truly comprehended that everything comes from God. My job as his child is merely to walk with him, lean on him, obey the Bible, and trust that he will always take care of me and my loved ones. It is to be content even though I can’t see past the headlights.
The Lord’s words “My power is made perfect in weakness” are to be taken literally. What a concept! Normal thinking says, “I have to get desperate with God, or he won’t take me seriously.” God says, “I take you seriously when you let go of yourself and reach for me.”
Think of a specific time when you were out of options and had to utterly lean on God. Do you remember the feeling? This is where God desires us to be every day, to live with a level of trust that acknowledges, “You alone are in control, and I trust you without reservation.” Proverbs says to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). There is no better advice and no greater promise: “Trust me all the time, for everything. I will take care of you.”