The Stories of Christmas | Messy Obedience

Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NLT)

When Paul wrote this letter to the church in Corinth, he was dealing with what he called a "thorn in the flesh." Biblical scholars have debated for centuries what this thorn actually was. Some think it was a physical ailment, maybe chronic eye problems or some other illness. Others think it was opposition from enemies or internal struggles. We don't know exactly what it was.

But we do know this: Paul begged God three times to take it away. Three times Paul prayed, "God, remove this weakness. Take away this limitation. I could serve you so much better without it."

And three times, God said no. But God didn't just say no. God said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness."

Wait...what? God's power works best in weakness? That doesn't make sense to us. We think God's power would work best when we're at our strongest, our most capable, our most put-together. We think we need to bring God our best before he can use us.

But that's not how God works. God's power shines brightest through our weaknesses, not despite them. God's power shines brightest through our weaknesses, not despite them.

Paul goes on to say something that sounds almost crazy: He takes pleasure in his weaknesses. He's glad to boast about them. Why? Because when he's weak, that's when Christ's power shows up most clearly.

Think about it this way: When everything goes smoothly, when we have all the resources we need, when we feel competent and capable, who gets the credit? We do. People look at what we accomplished and think, "Wow, they're really good at that." And sometimes, if we're honest, we start thinking that too.

But when we step out in faith despite our inadequacies...when we serve even though we're not sure what we're doing...when we offer what we have even though it feels like it's not enough...and God uses it anyway? There's no question about where the power came from. There's no confusion about who made it work. Everyone can see that it was God.

F.F. Bruce, the renowned biblical scholar, once wrote that Paul's thorn taught him that "divine power reaches its full effectiveness in human weakness." In other words, our limitations don't limit God. Our weaknesses don't weaken God's work through us. If anything, they create space for God's power to be more clearly seen.

So what does this mean for us practically? It means that messy obedience is often better than perfect inaction. It means that stumbling forward in faith is better than standing still. It means that offering our inadequate gifts to God is better than waiting until we feel adequate.

Maybe you've been holding back from serving because you're afraid you'll mess it up. Maybe you've been hesitant to share your faith because you don't know how to answer every question. Maybe you've been avoiding a calling because you're acutely aware of your limitations.

But here's what I want you to hear: Your weaknesses are not disqualifications. They're opportunities for God's power to be revealed. Your inadequacies are not obstacles to God's work. They're invitations for God to show up in unmistakable ways.

This doesn't mean we shouldn't prepare or try to grow in our abilities. It doesn't mean we should be careless or lazy in our service. But it does mean that we don't have to wait until we feel strong enough, capable enough, or qualified enough to respond to God's call.

We can step out in faith right now, weaknesses and all, and trust that God's grace is sufficient. We can offer our messy obedience and watch God do what only God can do.

Because God isn't looking for people who have it all together. God is looking for people who are willing to step out in faith despite their weaknesses. God is looking for people who will offer their inadequate gifts and trust him to make them enough. That's messy obedience. And that's exactly what God loves to use.

Prayer

Jesus, this is hard for me to accept. I want to be strong, capable, and competent before I serve you. But you're telling me that your power actually works best in my weakness. Help me to embrace my limitations instead of hiding them. Give me the courage to step out in messy obedience rather than waiting for perfect confidence. Teach me that my weaknesses are not disqualifications but opportunities for your power to be revealed. Help me to trust that your grace really is sufficient for me. Amen.