Boasting about Weaknesses? Really?

Mac's Perspective on the Intricacies of God’s Amazing Grace

August 9, 2009
Dear Fellow Travelers,
The words of Paul have intrigued me for many years: “If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness” (2 Corinthians 11:30; NASB). One of the reasons for my intrigue is the fact that, at least from my perspective, Paul was such an incredibly strong Christian. If he was weak, God help the rest of us!
Another reason for my intrigue with this passage is the fact that, at least at this point in my life, I am much more aware of my weaknesses, than I am of my strengths (age will do that to you!). Admittedly, I cannot claim to do much boasting about my weaknesses, but I am aware of them—very aware.
For example, Jesus said that, if we have faith the size of a mustard seed (very, very small!), we could say to a mountain, be thou cast into the sea and it would jump right in the ocean! Well, this is the actual quote: “. . . for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there, and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20; NASB).
Obviously, (to those of you who know me) I have very little faith (boasting about my weakness!), not even enough to equal the size of a mustard seed (really boasting about my weakness!), because I haven’t had much success moving mountains (the earthy kind or the metaphorical kind). Yes, I have seen God do some incredible things, move some genuine “mountains” in my life and in the life of others, but you can rest assured that it had nothing to do with my great faith (boasting about my weakness, just in case you missed it)!
Here is another example: Faith requires that we do not see; otherwise, why have faith. If I can see, I do not need faith. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1; KJV). Listen to what the writer of Hebrews (prob-ably Paul) is saying: Faith is the assurance (substance) of things I hope for, and it is the evidence (conviction) of things I cannot see. Well, trust me on this one: there is much that I hope for and even more that I cannot see, and make no mistake—hoping scares me to death (boasting about my weakness!); in my mind, a bird in hand is worth two under a bush. And I might add, I much prefer seeing over not seeing (boasting about my weakness!)!
And another: John tells us that there is no fear in love because perfect love casts out fear . . . and the one who fears is not perfected in love. If you want it, this is his precise quote, per the NASB: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love” (1 John 4:18). Well, so much for John’s fearlessness, but some things scare the wits out of me (and you, too, if you are honest!), which means, I suppose, that I have not been perfected in love (boasting about my weakness!).
I suppose I should also boast about this weakness: I have a very hard time loving some people, even some of God’s people; truth is, there are some that I don’t even like (re-ally boasting in my weakness!).
I could go on and on boasting about my weaknesses, but you would tire of reading and never get to my point, so I will stop (for now).
This is my point: I really do want you to know that is perfectly OK that you do not have it all together, that sometimes your “yarn” looks much like a tangled fishing line; that you haven’t arrived at perfection in your behavior, that sometimes you kick, and spit, and cuss; that some things scare the wits out of you and living by faith is one of them; that you haven’t gotten love all figured out and wrapped in a neat package with a ribbon on it, and, as a result, at least from your perspective, some of God’s children are just plain weird and hard to love, even like.
This is what Paul said about that: “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for [My] power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10; NASB; brackets mine). One thing is for sure, the Psalmist was correct: God’s ways are not our ways.