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 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 NIV

The latest treatment has really taken its toll on me. I’ve been in a lot of pain and It’s really wiped me out and left me feeling weak. I long to be doing things in my own strength and not feeling so helpless.

Strength in often seen as a great virtue in our society. We admire those who show great strength in the face of adversity, so much so that showing weakness is almost looked down upon. This can lead to us putting on a mask of strength in order to seek approval of others, even when we feel weak and vulnerable.

This can be also be particularly prevalent with our mental health. Not wanting to show we’re struggling can lead us to shutting down to others and preventing us getting much needed help.

Doing things is our own strength is something we can take for granted when we are in good health. It means we don’t have to rely on anyone else and we can show how “strong” we are to others.

In these verses Paul flips this all on its head, not only acknowledging his weaknesses, but wanting to brag about them. He does this because he knows where his source of strength comes from. He learnt through his own adversity to lean into the power that comes only from Christ.

I’m finding this hard to learn, whether it’s how I’ve been conditioned to be self-sufficient or whether I’m just plain stubborn. Either way accepting that I don’t have the strength to cope on my own isn’t easy. But it does help me lean into God’s strength and actually this just highlights my reliance on God in the first place whether I feel it or not.

His grace is sufficient for me, not only that, his power is made perfect, not in my strength but in my weaknesses, real strength is hidden in this truth. When I am weak, I am strong, through Christ and him alone.